苺 - Strawberry
by hyugaki
Summary: After fatally getting hit by a car, Elizabeth is thrust into the Narutoverse and is dubbed Ocha Ichigo, living with her civilian family who owns a tea house. Trying to shoulder the burden of protecting her civilian family, all while searching for her anonymous father, Ichigo decides that dealing with midterms in college is easier than her new life. (long chapters. slightly dark)
1. 死 (DEATH)

DISCLAIMER: picture belongs to bayneezone, it's not mine, I did not illustrate it or draw it.

**Author's Note: **_eep! _This is a rewrite of my previous semi-SI story, 'Quiet'. It's on my profile and has around five chapters. This story shares similar elements to _Quiet. _The appearance, personality, name, and somewhat background of the character is different, but the outcome is the same, and most of the romantic interests are not changed. You could read either one. There is an AN at the end of the story, and I'd appreciate it if you read it.

* * *

**苺 ****\- Strawberry**

**Chapter One: ****死 ****(DEATH)**

I rubbed my eyes blearily as I yawned for the (what seemed like) the thousandth time that night. It was three AM, the beginning of finals was tomorrow (technically, today), and I hadn't studied one bit. Instead, I decided to spend the entire morning watching Sailor Moon and Scandal, eating chocolate ice cream and catching up on Naruto. (College is hard, alright? I was still on the Kazekage arc.)

My head was ringing as my roommate shot up, mumbled a "_wuzzgoinon?_" and then promptly burst into tears when I informed her Finals were tomorrow.

"I-I could still become a stripper, right? Or marry a rich guy? L-Like Zayn Malik, or-or-"

I breathed, feeling like eating a sandwich.

I, Elizabeth McConnell, was a dirty, good-for-nothing procrastinator who should've studied two weeks ago and then some. I shuffled the notes that I paid six dollars for from a nerd. My vision was blurry from cramming so much.

"I give up," My roommate, Whitney Cooper, moaned. She ran her fingers through her black curls and collapsed back on the bed. She was lucky; her parents were filthy rich and she was drop-dead gorgeous, so if this 'college thing' didn't work out, her parents could pull some strings and she'd have a modelling or acting gig in a millisecond. Me? Not so much.

"How was your party?" I asked, trying to fill my mind with something other than this _brain freezing shit. _

"Eh? It was cool. Oh!" She squeaked, shooting up again, sleep shaken off her, "I made out with Matthew; you know that really hot guy? _Y'know?_"

I ran my fingers through my short hair, chewing my bottom lip. Fuck it. I'm about to collapse and I can't even read anymore. My vision was bleary and my eyes were begging from me to shut it.

Suddenly, I felt myself succumbing to darkness.

* * *

_No, _I wasn't dead yet. I was still very much alive, as seen when I jolted awake. My hair was a mess, drool was dried on the corner of my lips, and my eyes scanned around the room. _**Nine thirty. **_

Nine thirty? _What the fuck? _

I was late for my exam, and my roommate didn't bother waking me up. I clenched my fists, gritted my teeth, and shot up, scurrying to get ready. I was late-and if I was late, I knew my bitchy professor wouldn't bother letting me in.

I shot out my campus, scurrying across town. I flipped out my phone, my fingers angrily spreading across the screen:

_**why the fuck didn't you wake me up? **_I texted my roommate, who was probably gleefully sitting on Matthew's lap. I gritted my teeth as I stared at my phone as I got a text message from her.

_**you looked so peace-**_

….

_and then i died. _

…_. _

* * *

It was quick. I didn't see the campus car whizzing towards me, hurrying to make it to their class; my eyes were glued onto the screen, anger coiling my thoughts, and then I was hit. I couldn't see anything as I lay on the floor. I couldn't feel anything. And then I succumbed to darkness once again, although this time, _I don't think it was sleep. _

After what seemed like centuries, I felt something warm and _suspiciously wet_ encase and encompass me. And then I felt pure pain.

I've gotten paper cuts, scrapes, even broken limbs; but nothing compared to _this. _I felt the car collide with my stomach. I _felt _the blood pour out my body, and _I felt something burrow itself into me, something gripping my organs; _I was having trouble breathing. Instinctively I cried, trying to search for oxygen, just to breathe. Something was squeezing my lungs, liver, and heart, and although it was strangely warm (if it had a temperature?), it was painful. I wanted to cough, I wanted to _pry open my eyes to see where I was, _but it felt like lead. Swallowing was even painful. My throat was too heavy in my neck, and I felt something circulating my body. At the time I wrote it off as blood, but later on I found out it was chakra.

I felt something cold splash me and my cries grew louder. The uncomfortable squeezing of my organs abruptly stopped, but I continued crying. I heard hushed voices but I couldn't understand anything. Was I in a coma? Was this all a dream? Where the hell was I?

Questions bombarded my brain and I couldn't find an answer to it. I felt someone touch my skin. Their fingers were cool, and they brought their cold lips to my forehead.

"_Ocha Ichigo." _I felt a warm whisper in my ear. Naturally, I cried. Because, first of all, _**who the fuck was whispering in my ear? **_Secondly, _who the fuck was that? _Thirdly, _why are they speaking Japanese? _

From my (embarrassingly) extensive knowledge on anime and manga, it is only natural that I know a few words in Japanese. And I knew that the term 'ichigo' means strawberry in Japanese, and although I can't see, I would be very perplexed if someone brought a random Japanese woman to me and mumbled strawberry.

Warmth surrounded me and I realized I was wrapped in a blanket. Hot tears were threatening to fall in my tightly shut eyes. I stopped crying and instead, tried to wiggle a finger. I had no control over my body. My limbs were heavy in my uncomfortable skin. I felt like a snake that needed to shed its skin.

I tried moving my tongue, but everything was too heavy. I felt strangely uncomfortable. My eyelids were heavy, as if I were still sleepy, but I couldn't sleep with too many things in my mind.

_Wait. So, I got hit by some jackass who didn't stop on campus. If I'm not dead, I'm in a coma, and my parents are here, or someone's talking to me while I'm slumbering away. Am I on the verge of death? Why do I have my consciousness? _

I tried blinking with my closed eyelids to no avail. However, I was on the verge of sleeping, so I allowed myself to drift off, all while promising to figure out this mess once I wake up.

* * *

When I awoke, I was able to open my eyes, which solved most of my problems. I deduced I was _not in a coma, _and was a little offended that no one jumped over my now conscious body, sobbing into my chest, "_you're finally awake!" _

In fact, I was alone. I tried sitting up, but I soon found out I had no control over my body. Was I paralyzed? It was plausible, and my stomach churned at the thought of it. I didn't want to be paralyzed, unable to move at all.

I started screaming, trying to get _someone's _attention, and it worked; someone burst in the room breathlessly. I took in their appearance with a start. For starters, they didn't wear the standard uniform. Their uniform was beige with an unreadable kanji stitched onto their right breasts. I stared at them, bewildered.

One of the nurses cooed. Her eyes were a startling gray. She scooped me up and rocked me gently.

_Wait. What? _

The fact that she could scoop me up made me perplexed. When I quickly glanced down, I saw that my legs weren't at the floor like they were supposed to be; instead, my legs were _small _and they rested on her large arm. I almost threw up when I realized that I wasn't tall as I was supposed to be; I was abnormally short.

_Maybe my legs were amputated? _I weakly theorized, but even I knew it wasn't true. Dread creeped towards me as someone else burst into the room.

They spoke fast, and they held a bottle with an unidentifiable liquid resting inside.

"_**Akimichi-senpai!" **_

"_**...boku wa…" **_

"_**...akachan…" **_

"_**mirku…" **_

My throat went dry. They were speaking fast, fluent Japanese, (although their accent was anything but. It was an indescribable, unidentifiable accent.) and I understood minimal of it.

Akimichi? I distinctly knew that was the surname of Chouji in Naruto. It was a clan in his village. _Perhaps it's common? _I thought warily.

But her build made me question myself. To put it plainly, she wasn't skinny. She was chubby and short, her yellow cheeks puffing out. Her hair was smoothed into a bun and her eyes were a sharp, glinting burnt sienna.

"Ichigo-chan," She cooed softly as she grabbed the bottle and placed it between my lips. I was too hungry to even think that _this was fucking wrong, she's feeding me milk_, so I greedily sucked the bottle dry, still hungry for more.

After I ate, she set me down on a soft surface.

She started rambling, and I tuned her out. I couldn't speak or understand, anyways. When her fingers creeped below my waist and pryed off something, I was alarmed. I stared down below my stomach (which was difficult) and fought the urge to jump out a window. I was wearing _diapers. _

Tears welled in my eyes, and I realized many things:

I died.

I was reborn as a baby.

I was possibly in the Narutoverse, what with the Japanese and the Akimichi surname.

I'm so screwed.

* * *

After that revelation (and many diaper changes later), I was taken home by a relatively old woman. She looked to be about sixty and older. She balanced me on her hip without much difficulty and took me out the hospital. Heat splashed on my skin as she wandered out the hospital and throughout town, all while speaking to me in a hushed, excited voice.

I was wondering where my parents were. Obviously, this was not my mom, and if my mom wasn't here, where the hell was my dad? I was beginning to get a bad feeling, and I obviously couldn't speak and ask questions. I filed it for later use and marveled at the area. My vision was still fuzzy, but even I could see the bright colors and the loud noises; kids running through the streets, civilians selling various produces, and quiet citizens walking through.

We quickly got home. The house wasn't something to marvel at. It wasn't small. On the outside, it looked huge, but on the inside, it seemed average. It was squeaky clean, not a sound in the house. At that time, all I wanted to do was snooze, wake up and think about my life, then eat. I guaranteed to myself that I'd find out _who I was, _and _what era I was in. _

* * *

I got my answers pretty quickly. It came slowly at first, but once I started to understand, it was easy. I promptly found out that my surname was _Ocha, _meaning tea. My family came to Konohagakure a few years back, presumably pre-Nine Tails attack, _(_perhaps a few months or years after the Third Shinobi War.) My family was _huge_, they were not in a clan, and they were civilians. No kekkei genkai, no weird dōjutsus, _no shinobi. _They were just civilians that owned a tea shop that was right next to our house.

First, they moved from _Cha no Kuni_, or Land of Tea, to Konohagakure. The country was so small, they didn't have villages. It was a civilian country, and my grandparents, too, owned a tea shop. After the Third Shinobi War, they moved to Konohagakure ("_Have you tasted Konoha's leaves? It was grown just for brewing tea!"_), which was a huge change. They were still wary of ninjas, but they quickly adapted to the nature of the shinobi. After the Kyuubi attack, the tea house was destroyed. They quickly rebuild it to have a steady income, but it wasn't the same: the population decreased, meaning less customers, and less income.

My father was a touchy subject. I didn't ask, and my grandparents didn't tell. My mother died giving birth to me, which was a puzzle to the doctors and my family. She was perfectly healthy during her pregnancy. She gained the necessary weight and had all the right nutrients. But after I popped out, she faded away.

I wasn't sad. I felt bad for my grandparents and aunt (and uncle), but I didn't mourn. I didn't know her, and I was still mourning over my old life. Although it was literally in the past, I'm still nostalgic.

_At least I don't have any exams to do, _I smugly thought.

I wasn't terrified like I thought I would be. I was a _civilian. _I wouldn't have to risk my life to save anyone. All I'd have to do is tend to the tea shop when my grandparents die, (or have my aunt or uncle do it.) I _would_ probably either die during Suna's coup when the Chuunin Exams roll around, but I could easily invade it with some coaxing to my grandparents for a vacationing in a non-shinobi village; During Pein's invasion, I'd be old enough to go on a little "informative" trip about tea to my grandparents' home village, _Cha no Kuni._

As my grandmother tucked me into the makeshift crib, I stared at her in wonder, a tinge of curiosity pouring over me. What did my new mother even look like? Did she look like my grandmother, with ebony, almond shaped eyes, tan skin, and bushy eyebrows? Or was she more like my grandfather, with messy orange hair, large cafe au lait eyes, and sharp jawline?

With the thoughts of appearances, I wondered more and more each day what I looked like. In my previous life, I was a tall, lanky girl with crooked teeth and short brown hair. My mother was Colombian and my father was Cuban-American. I sincerely doubted that in the Narutoverse, race was nonexistent and there was literally just color, and even then, they didn't have a particular race. Shinobi were far too immersed on how to kill a man from a distance and how to survive, rather than worrying about race. Even in Kumogakure, where there were many dark-skinned people, they didn't have an official name, and again, I doubted they did.

I sporadically wondered what my father looked like, who he was, and _where he was. _Was he in Konoha, wrapping his arms around another woman? Or was he six feet under, his cause of death due to a fierce battle between shinobi? I shuddered when I thought if my father was dead or not. Did he even know I existed? Such thoughts seldom entered my mind, but if they did, I dwelled on it for the rest of the day.

I painted a random picture of my father in my head. I envisioned him to be a tall, dad-looking civilian who sold dango, but then moved out of Konoha and moved into Iwa or Suna to pursue his real dreams: writing books. I visualized him to have ear-length silver hair, gray eyes, and a mysterious face.

…

...okay, I pictured him to be Hatake Kakashi, but who cares? Even though I knew my thoughts were way off, I liked to hold onto that image of a caring, nice father who genuinely didn't know I existed because he didn't even know my mother was pregnant.

Before I could finish any existing thoughts, I drifted off to sleep, the smell of tea lingering in my nose.

* * *

**Author's Note: **This story will have long chapters, so if you're not up w/ that, please exit. I'm hoping to write 2k-5k per chapter, and this will be updated either weekly or every other week. I learned to not promise my readers a set schedule, because I like to write on my own accord. Some weeks I'm feeling like sleeping and watching XMas movies, others I want to write twenty chapters for the same fanfic.

Anyways, my story will be divided into arcs. I not only feel more comfortable doing it, especially since it's a semi-SI story (honestly, Ichigo shares little to no traits with me.), I feel it'll organize the story better, and just like the manga, give you a bit more insight and you'll predict what it'll be about, sort of. The first arc will begin in the next chapter. This is an unnamed, unofficial arc, "Introduction arc." Typically, my arcs will last 3-10 chapters, give or take a few.

I also wanted to address spoilers and social issues that'll take place in the story. My character, as stated, has only read a little bit past the Kazekage arc, so if you're not there, there'll be major spoilers. Also, they'll be implications and downright depictions of homosexuality, asexuality, and bisexuality. If you are uncomfortable with those three, please exit. Otherwise, I will not take out the portrayal of them. Also, there'll be implications of racism and racial issues. Obviously, I'm aware that there is no definite race or ethnicity in the Narutoverse. However, my OC is from the 21st century, and she is, and identifies as an Hispanic woman with dark skin. There will be talk of the racism she has experienced, and although I don't think you should be uncomfortable with that, if you _are_ and you continue reading, don't whine to me.

That's all I need to cover. Bless! Thanks for reading and please review xx


	2. 忍び (KUNOICHI)

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(ARC 1: Academy Arc)**_

* * *

_**Chapter Two: **_**忍び ****\- Shinobi **

My family decided not to ask me about if I wanted to be a kunoichi, and if they did, the answer would be no, with much contemplation.

The Ocha family were civilians. They have never bred a child who wanted to be a shinobi, because somehow, that child _knew _that that world wasn't for the faint at heart; they'd have to be willing to risk their life and soul to protect the village, and the Ocha family daintily accepted that they'd protect the village by serving it some kick ass tea.

Civilians and shinobi were two different species; they were worlds apart. First, civilians had a different schooling system than shinobi. Civilians did not earn the title, 'genin, chuunin, and jounin.' Civilian Academy was, in fact, similar to my past world schooling. You learn something, then you move up a _grade_, not rank. Civilians did not learn how to mould chakra, hand seals, or ninjutsus, which is why civilians had no hopes to becoming shinobi out of the blue. They couldn't self-train themselves, or even get a jounin-sensei since they _genuinely had no clue what to do with their chakra. _

Civilians learned mathematics, history, etc. Shinobi learned history, mathematics, chakra control, taijutsu, buukijutsu, etc. Civilians learned. Shinobi learned how to kill and protect.

While I have seen many shinobi, (_the smell of blood lingering on their hitai-ate was almost too much for me to bear. They were always gruff, paranoid and unresponsive) _I didn't bother meeting their eyes. Their eyes held a dangerous glint, and I didn't enjoy staring into them. Scars were always etched onto their skin. It was rare to find a shinobi who didn't have some visible scar, and if there wasn't one, it was on a hidden area of their body.

After I turned three years old and I was able to speak broken sentences to my family (and understand), I was able to watch my aunt and cousins wipe sweat off their brow as they meticulously poured the tea in the expensive cups, carefully not to spill any. The smell of _namagashi __**(1)**_ was familiar and stained my nose; the way they precisely rolled the dough, wiping flour from their nose (only to add more).

The teahouse was very familiar to me. It was like my second home.

And then something happened.

It was around when I was seven; I wasn't quite sure what happened at the time. It was at night, when I was sound asleep, someone broke into the teahouse.

First of all, when I heard the news, I was incredulous; who the fuck breaks into the teahouse?

Turns out, they wanted our 'exclusive, limited cups' that was imported from _Mitsu no Kuni __**(2)**_. Unfortunately, my grandfather was in there, tidying up the shop and closing it down when they burst in. They were retired shinobi who were going to sell the cups for a meaty price. My grandfather got a nasty black eye and sprained wrist from that, and after the man was arrested and my grandfather was at home, recuperating, the truth slipped out.

"The Police Force informed me that many crimes took place after the Hyuuga incident," My grandfather said wearily as he held a frozen ice pack to his (now) purple eye. "Sucks, right? Poor thing what happened to the clan, but all of us have to suffer due to one crook?"

"Always knew those Kumo nin were no good," My aunt gossiped in a hushed voice, pursing her thin lips. "I mean, who would _do that?_"

I froze, my mouth open. _Hyuuga incident? Kumo nin? _I thought hurriedly. _Where Hinata gets kidnapped and Neji's father dies? _

I bit my lip as I mulled this over; this incident already passed, and although it was not written in the manga or anime, many people suffered from it. Criminals came from their hiding and looted many shops and homes after the commotion in hopes that they wouldn't get caught. Unfortunately, the Uchihas, or the Military Force, were keeping everything in check and they all were arrested.

"Are you alright, Ichi-chan?" My grandmother asked, concerned for my wellbeing as well.

"E-eh? I'm fine, obaachan," I replied quickly and flashed her a smile confirming my statement. She nodded curtly and continued tending to my grandfather.

A quick deduction easily told me I was Neji's age. I was already four, and Hinata was abducted at three. I was not the same age as her.

I bit the inside of my cheek as I stared at my grandfather. He was shifting his weight as he tried to rest comfortably, the ice slowly healing his black eye. His wrists were red, indicating tightness around them.

Pain washed over me. _My family was harmed by a shinobi, _I thought painfully. _Who's to say they wouldn't get harmed again and again? Who's going to protect them? _

_**The government. Other shinobi. **_A rational side of me reasoned.

The pained and cautious side of me, however, was wary.

_What if they're not there in time? What if _I _get harmed, too? How will I defend myself and my family? _

I chewed on my bottom lip, contemplating the limited choices. Becoming a kunoichi would be the literal only way to protect my family. That or personally requesting an ANBU to guard my family, but we were only civilians. We weren't royal or rich or of any importance.

_**Becoming a kunoichi is risky. You're putting yourself in more risk, you may die, you might not even be able to mould chakra, and you're lazy. How's that working out? **_

I almost succumbed to that dreadful, albeit rational thought, but my grandfather winced as my aunt touched his wrists.

"_Itai!_" My grandfather grunted. "That hurts."

"Ah, gomen," my aunt murmured, dropping his hand softly. "Did they sprain it? Did anyone heal it for you?

"Yeah," my grandfather grimaced. "Those damned shinobi."

My heart wilted at seeing him in more pain. _He doesn't have to be hurt. Any of them. _I thought slowly.

"Ichigo-chan. You should go to bed. We're going to tend to the teahouse tomorrow, and you're helping us," My grandmother told me sternly. I looked up abruptly.

"H-Hai, obaachan," I replied obediently. I got up, kissed my grandfather's forehead, and walked upstairs shakily. I didn't realize I was clenching my fists until I felt a sharp pain of my nails digging into my skin.

* * *

True to my grandmother's words, I was woken up early. As I crossed the street with my aunt to tend to the teahouse, I noticed the streets were quieter than usual.

_The Hyuuga Incident, _I realized. Were they mourning? Paying respect?

The thought of Neji losing his dad made me feel a wash of sympathy. I was mad over a little injury that my grandfather received, and he lost his father's _life. _

"Are you OK, Ichigo?" My grandmother asked as I entered the teahouse.

"Eh?" I questioned. "Ah. Yeah. Obaachan, I ask you something."

"What is it?" My grandmother asked as she broomed the cracked tea cups.

I bit my lip and wrung my hands.

"Ano…"

"Spit it out, _kodomo._ **(3)**"

I stared down at my sandals, my stomach clenching. After I "went to bed", I stayed up at night, thinking things through. Even after everyone went to sleep and the house was dark and still, I was still awake, pacing my room and fingering my hair, contemplating my decision; I was weighing the pros and cons, and when I fell asleep on the floor, only to be woken up early, I knew my decision.

"Ano-I… I want to become a ninja." I stumbled over my words. I gazed up at her, tense and overwrought.

My grandmother closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. Her grip tightened on the broom handle and she paused.

"You want to become a shinobi? Why?" She inquired.

"_Y'see_," I began, "when _Jiji __**(4)**_ got hurt-I was helpless!" I stumbled over my words again. "Ano-and… and… how do I protect him? How do I protect _everyone_?" I spread my arms, "-and if they get hurt again, I feel more guilty!" I winced at my misuse of words and bad grammar. When I was nervous, my consciousness of proper grammar flew out the window.

My _Hi no Kuni _dialect and understanding of the broken language wasn't perfect, but I managed to comprehend a minimal amount of it.

"Ah." My grandmother nodded. "I see. You want to protect us?"

She placed a large, withering hand on my head and ruffled my hair.

"You're caring, Ichigo." She smiled softly.

"A...Arigatou?" I thanked her, hesitantly.

"Well, that doesn't mean we approve, but your heart is in the right place. Now, stop blabbering and help me clean up! The floor won't broom itself, and customers don't want to dine at a busted up shop!" She barked out, and I nodded, grabbing a spare broom and brooming promptly.

* * *

After cleaning up the teahouse and I returned home, I told the rest of the family of my plans. They didn't seem disappointed or angry. They were just shocked.

"But, Ichigo-chan, you're so _nice!_" My aunt would exclaim.

"Eh? Shinobi are nice," I informed her.

"Kunoichi, you mean? Shinobi is boys, _kunoichi _is for girls. And you're wrong, Ichigo-chan. You have to be _mean _to be a shinobi-" my aunt mastered a 'terrifying' face and spread her hands, resembling a monster, "-see what happened to your grandfather?"

I frowned at her. Ignoring her reminder of grandfather's incident, I thought about her gender-specific term for ninjas. Same thing, right? It would be weird to simply rename them for a different gender, because they did the same thing: killing.

"Shinobi." I corrected stubbornly.

"It's _kunoi_-y'know what? I have no time for this! I'm going to the 'house!" (We referred the 'house as the teahouse.) She airily responded and promptly stomped off.

Despite this, I was still extremely grateful my family was accepting of my desire to become a shinobi, without them arguing with me and me having to convince them of the advantages of becoming a shinobi/kunoichi.

When Spring rolled around, my grandmother briskly enrolled me into the Academy.

"Mmph. You'll be attending the Academy on March. Waka-_oi, Ichigo, stop jumping around, you'll hurt yourself." _

In truth, I wasn't excited to be taught how to kill a human; I was more excited to learn more about the world I lived in (and read when I was in the past). I wanted to learn more about chakra, about the origins of shinobi, about _ninjutsus and hand seals, **because dammit**_ it was cool how I could make an exact copy of myself and spit fire and walk on water.

In Spring, the teahouse was really booming. In Konohagakure, the leaves were exceptional, especially in spring. It's no wonder many teahouses from all over would visit the village and would pay lots of money in exchange for the leaves for brewing tea; it was another reason that my family moved to Konoha.

"Ittekimasu!" My uncle chorused as he shifted his bookbag. An unidentifiable kunoichi stood there, waiting impatiently with pursed lips.

Monthly, my family (mainly my uncle) would leave to go pay for water for the tea. Although we mainly used the village's water supply, they found that the tea was naturally healthier, tastier, and more desired if they imported tea from Takigakure or Ekitakiagure.

"Sayonara!" My family parroted back and he was gone in a flash.

Before I knew it, the week passed and I was off to school. I woken up with little to no sleep clinging onto my body, my stomach growling, and anxiety coiling my brain; I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I was stuck there, frozen, mid-yawn as I realized: _holy fucking shit, I'm going to the Academy to become a fucking shinobi. _

I ran my fingers through my short hair and slipped out of bed, my limbs trembling. I was going to train to be a shinobi. I was going to train to be a shinobi. I was going to-

Nope, it hasn't sunken in yet.

I temporarily washed off my fear with shockingly cold water. _It was my decision to become a shinobi. So, why was I so scared? _I wasn't mentally ready to learn how to kill someone. I wasn't physically ready to learn how to knock a person unconscious with my fist or to jump for tree to tree, despite how my body was trying so, so hard to adapt. I wasn't ready, but I _wanted to protect someone, _I craved the need to have someone to protect, so here I was, forcing myself to be brave and bad ass.

That sudden analysis dampened my mood.

I finished off with my shower, quickly dressed, and bounded downstairs.

"Are you excited?" My grandmother inquired over the table. I wolfed down my miso soup and steamed rice.

"Hai," I answered. It was the half-truth.

"Ittekimasu!" I called out as I snatched my bento box, tea still puffing in my cheeks, and bolted out the house.

I needed to leave, to escape the suffocating gazes of my family members. They were expecting me to be jitterish, _excited,_ but even though I proposed the idea of becoming a shinobi, I was still frightened.

I chewed the inside of my cheek and made my way through the streets of Konoha, dodging the carts of apples and tomatoes.

Once I saw a crowd of parents and children crowding the familiar tangerine and white colored building. _**Fuck, I can do this. I can do this. **_

I squeezed my way through the crowds, making my way into the building. The splash of cool air hit my skin and I licked my dry lips, my throat hurting suddenly. My tongue felt like lead and I felt my fingers trembling, but I couldn't look down.

_**9**__**部屋**_

It was clear as day, yet my vision was becoming bleary. I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob, feeling uncomfortable. _God, am I going to puke? I'm going to fuckin-_

"_Oi, __**bozu**_," I heard a shrill voice addressing me. I turned around hesitantly, and my eyes rested on a (rather short) brown boy with peach hair.

"Eh? _Bozu?_ But, I'm a gir-"

"Some kids need to get through the classroom," He interrupted in a churlish manner, causing me to sourly narrow my eyes at him. He lazily gestured to the door and I sidestepped.

He pushed past me and opened the door, waltzing inside without an apology slipping out his mouth.

"_I'm a girl, you dick-wad," _I was tempted to snarl, but my perturbation made me hesitate. Instead of partaking in a verbal battle with the midget, I walked inside, keeping my lips glued shut, and sat down in an empty row of desks.

I knew that in the manga (and anime) there were a few snippy, mean kids, but I didn't think I'd ever come across one, especially on the _first day. _

Suddenly, in a matter of a few minutes and exchange of words, I had something else to worry about, rather than the arts of killing.

* * *

**FOOTNOTES: **

**(1) **\- confectionery often eaten w/ tea, type of wagashi.

**(2) **\- Land of Honey

**(3) - **child

**(4) - **informal way of saying grandpa

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter has quite a lot of footnotes and Japanese terms. They are all explained above.

I'm going to admit: this chapter is shit in my eyes. I didn't bother rereading this, because I knew I'd rewrite it for the tenth time (literal) today, so I thought against it. Yes, I know it goes too fast, her decision to become a kunoichi is too quick and her family's acceptance is too prompt, I'm aware, but I don't think I could've dragged this kunoichi contemplation for two more chapters.

Regarding the Arcs: for Naruto, I'm aware they have arcs. Introduction arc, Kazekage arc, etc. For my FF, I'm having an arc. Some arcs will be titled the same as the canon ones if my OC and her team is involved in the aforementioned arc. For instance, if her team is assigned to rescue Gaara instead of Team Gai, the arc will still be called Kazekage Rescue arc. If I decide to let my character live on, then an arc will still be called Fourth Shinobi War &amp; etc.

Ichigo- it's a unisex name. It means strawberry in Japanese. This should give you a hint who and where her father is/from. Her father's identity will be revealed before chapter fifteen, I'll give you that. The Academy arc is quite long as well; it's around 5 chapters, and they are the worst arc I've written so far. I can't wait to get onto the next arc so it'd spice things up. Also, for the language: it's broken up Japanese w/ Hi no Kuni (Fire/Land of Fire) dialect &amp; slang. It's not precisely Japanese, but that's the closest language it can be similar to.

Regarding Ichigo's appearance, the boy in this chapter basically summed her up: she looks like a boy. She has manly features and her hair is chin length, so in the future, her androgynous appearance will be brought up and mainly for comedic relief.

In light of the Christmas Season, I'll be releasing two chapters on Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading! Please read and review!


	3. 学校 (SCHOOL)

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(ARC 1: Academy Arc)**_

**Chapter Three: ****学校 (SCHOOL)**

I propped my head on my hands and drummed my nails against the wooden desk, my eyes scanning the room. Our sensei was, unsurprisingly, not Umino Iruka. From my strained knowledge of Naruto, I knew that Iruka was the last teacher in Naruto's year, since all the other teachers quit due to his childish antics. Iruka was also new and young.

The instructor was visually bright. Her hair was a blend of heliotrope and periwinkle. Her eyes were a shady, cloudy gray, and she wore a pale, snowy yukata, tied tightly with a salmon obi. Her pants were awfully tight for a Chuunin, and she wore her coral hitai-ate around her forehead. Her rosy sandals were the standard for most ninjas in Konoha, and she kept her hair tied in the back.

I decided to relocate my attention away from the instructor by gazing out the window. A sigh escaped my lips, and the realization poured down on me like a bucket of ice: _I'm in the same class as Team Gai. _

I redirected my gaze away from the window, and sure enough, I saw it: a Hyuuga with pale eyes, strong bone structure, and long hair, a hand on a tiny boy with a casual yukata on. His pallid eyes were ghostly and hard. His jaw was clenched and his forehead was concealed with thin bandages. His hair was long and tied loosely at the bottom.

I couldn't breathe. This was Hyuuga Neji, the boy who I admired and loved, even when he was drunk on the idea of fate and destiny. _This was my favorite character, and I was staring straight at him. _

Of course, Neji's eyes surpassed mine and he turned his head slightly, his pupiless eyes wandering in my direction. My pulse quickened in fear; his eyes cool as snow.

My mouth went dry and I averted my attention towards to my short nails.

* * *

After all the children settled down, my sensei finally spoke up. Her voice was deep for her assumed age.

"Ohayo. I'm Kita Akari. Pleased to meet you," She greeted. She tapped her pink hitai-ate. "I'm a Konoha kunoichi, and I will be teaching you for the next three years. I'm a Chuunin." She tapped her chin in thought, then shrugged. "I'm better in genjutsu and ninjutsu than taijutsu."

She flashed us a bright smile. "Well? How about all of you?"

For the next twenty minutes, we were forced to introduce ourselves. Most of the kids were quiet and shy, but there were a few who were screechingly loud and visually bright, which made my ears and eyes hurt.

After the introductions were over, Akari continued.

"If you thought that you would sit around and pick at your nails for the first day, you were wrongly mistaken. Today, we will be learning about the _history of Konohagakure-_"

_**Eh? History?**_Although the 'History of Konoha' wasn't dwelled on, at least the chapter and episode I was on before I died, I was still extremely excited to know about the history. Maybe they'd teach us of the origin of chakra, jutsus, and shinobi? Or perhaps-

"-and clans," Akari-sensei finished gleefully. She whirled around, writing quickly and swiftly on the chalkboard:

_**族**_

"There are four noble clans of Konoha, although there are other clans that are still strong. Can anyone name me one?"

"_Anosa! Anosa!_" A loud boy with ebony hair and dark, almond shaped eyes barked out, jumping in his seat. "The Uchiha clan." Without warning, he whipped around, thumbing his shirt.

A breath escaped my lips as I saw the Uchiha crest etched onto his blue jacket.

The boy was tan, short, and skinny, with a wide smile on his face.

"Hai. The Uchiha clan possesses the kekkei genkai, the Sharingan," She informed us. "The other three?"

* * *

My stomach growled just in time for Akari-sensei to call for lunch. I opened my bento, pried apart my chopsticks, and dug in, wasting no time.

The Academy wasn't as terrifying as it was; there was no war, so there was no rush to scramble kids to learn how to kill. Instructors could allow the Academy students to have a childhood before they graduate and learn the brutal ways of a shinobi.

_And that's the flaw, _I thought as I sipped my _(no surprise!) _tea.

There was no time for a kid to have a childhood. It would already be stolen away from them the second the become a genin, the second they tie the hitai-ate around their foreheads-the moment they touch the metal, it's gone. In Konoha, they teach the kids about chakra theory and control, basics of taijutsu, and basic ninjutsu, and that's where they go wrong. They should educate the kunoichi not only about flower pressing and how to infiltrate, but the horrors they go through. They should teach the kids more about taijutsu, and more about ninjutsu, not just about clones, transformations, and substitution. And although those are _extremely _helpful in battle, if you're not a clan child, that's all you'll know.

I finished off my food with the distressing thought. I wouldn't learn to the full extent. I wouldn't learn how to better control my chakra, or how to perform ninjutsus out of the basic three. Although (if I pass) I'll get a Jounin sensei and a team, missions are handed out right after the Genin passes the test; there leaves little to no time for training, and if there is, it's not enough.

This can be solved if one is in a clan or has shinobi for parents. If one is orphaned or has a civilian family, they're screwed. It's been ill-advised for non-Genin to practice ninjutsus out of their scope (aside from the transformation, clone, and substitution) without an adult or experience shinobi supervising them.

Most of the time in canon, this law was broken, but it was justified; Naruto had plenty of chakra due to the Tailed Beast sealed inside of him, so he was allowed to waste chakra without depleting it, and he could get away with his poor chakra control. Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Sasuke, and others had a clan to teach them secret jutsus and had shinobi for parents to supervise them. The only way for me to train without fatally harming myself and my chakra system is to practice taijutsu.

I slipped my now-empty bento box into my bag and finished off my tea. Lunch was signalled over, and we resumed to our studies.

* * *

"Obaachan!" I gasped. After Academy was signalled over, I rushed outside, eager to get home. To see my old grandma outside of the house or the teahouse was a surprise.

"Ichigo-chan," My grandmother greeted, a smile forming on her pale face, "how was Academy?"

"Boring," I replied bluntly and flatly, slipping my tiny hand into her large, soft ones. "It was so boring! All we did was talk about _clans and honor_."

I didn't share with her my analysis and disadvantages about the Academy and civilian-born kids. I kept my mouth shut, and instead, asked about the 'house.

I walked inside our home and slipped off my sandals. I dodged everyone's inquiries about the Academy, and instead, slinked back into my room.

I ran my fingers through my hair, worry washing over me. I was in future Team Gai's class-all three of them were in my class, which made me nervous. The thought of me even _breathing in their direction _intimidated me. The Butterfly Effect wandered into my mind. What if I accidently stomp on Tenten's foot, and changed something in the future? Or if I smile at Rock Lee and something huge occurs in a future date?

_Avoid them. Avoid them like a plague. If they talk to you, walk away. _I chorused in my head. Although I was aiming to be a shinobi, I wouldn't meddle in the Konoha Twelve's affair. I wouldn't prevent anything, because as far as I know, it helped them in the future. Naruto's loneliness made him appreciate bonds. Gaara's solitary and psychological damage strengthened him and helped him become Kazekage; Sasuke's abandonment strengthened Sakura in the future. It all helped them, whether they liked it or not.

_I will not meddle into their affairs. _I promised myself. I will avoid Team Gai successfully.

I didn't know how hard that was.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Meh, I'm not too satisfied w/ this chapter. To be frank, this chapter is not the desired 2K length. I would add more, but if I did, it would be probably 4k or 5k. Also, to add: no romance at this second. That means no romance between Ichigo and that random Uchiha boy, no romance between Neji and Ichigo, no romance between Akira-sensei and Ichigo.

To answer unanswered questions, _the Uchiha Massacre hasn't happened. _The Massacre took place when Sasuke was 7-8, and Ichigo is in Team Gai's year, meaning she/they are a year older than Rookie Nine. (so, when R9 took the Chuunin Exams, they were 13; which means Team Gai was 14.) The Uchiha Clan would be massacred when Ichigo/Team Gai was 8-9, and currently, they are 6-7. So they have about a year or two before the clan dies. Just to clear that up! Sorry if it's a bit confusing!

Also, merry Christmas Eve! :)


	4. 敗北 (DEFEAT)

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(ARC 1: Academy Arc)**_

**Chapter Four: ****敗北 ****\- Defeat**

* * *

The first time I met an Uchiha, it was on a resting day; there was no school, and I was taking people's orders like there was no tomorrow. The teahouse was _booming. _My uncle, who had just came back, had to set out _again _to Cha no Kuni; because of the boost of sales and demands of customers, we needed more workers. My family preferred to have Ocha family workers work at the teahouse; not only were they more reliable and trustworthy, but the Ocha family apparently had a 'kekkei genkai for making tea', though I was sure my sly grandmother was joking.

When I met the Uchiha, I barely recognized her as one. Her eyes were lighter than usual, and her guardian was very cold to her; her guardian, who was male, ordered for her, and by the scrunching of her nose and the wrinkle of her eyebrows, she wasn't satisfied with the order. His hands were rough and jerky when he grabbed her hand, and she barely spoke.

"Arigatou gozaimasu," She had murmured, her head bowed. I didn't recognize her in canon, so she was undoubtedly irrelevant. Sympathy filled my heart when I realized that she would've been killed, too.

Despite my nerves, I smiled.

"Daijoubu," I replied. Her head lifted up a centimeter, and her guardian's grip tightened.

They sat down curtly in an empty table, their fingers drumming against the table.

The child was, like all Uchihas, attractive. Her hair was already long and pulled into one, tight, mature bun; her eyes were oriental and dark, cloudy gray. Her dark eyebrows were permanently scrunched. She looked a little older than me. She was tall.

Her guardian must've caught my gaze, because he directed her mean, beady black eyes and stared me down. Ebony met ebony, but of course, I lowered my gaze; although the knowledge of him dying in a few years was eating at me, I was still intimidated by him.

Running my fingers through my sable hair, I met eyes with another person. This time it was a human. I flashed my nervous, hesitant smile and took his order without preamble.

* * *

My Academy days were a blur. They consisted of chakra theory, history, and ninjutsus. They didn't dwell too much into ninjutsus, believe it or not; they glossed over them, and taught us basics, like substitution, clone, and transformation; they talked about chakra natures, though little to no people paid attention to, including me. I knew about the basics: fire, water, wind, lightning and earth and which were strong and weak against one another.

Most of the inside class time was discussing chakra, which I tried desperately to understand. I scribbled notes, though it was pointless; my family were civilians, and they couldn't possibly help me understand. Civilians went to school, but it was different than the Ninja Academy; they knew about chakra, biology, science of it, but that was it.

Learning the hand seals was another top priority. Akari-sensei constantly demonstrated it to us.

"Hand seals are _imperative _to perform ninjutsus. Hand seals mould the chakra easier," Akari-sensei drilled into us.

Most of my classmates this year, unfortunately, were in a clan; there were about three or four kids, excluding me, who were born either from civilians or had a shinobi as a parent.

The clans were clans we saw in the anime; Nara, Hyuuga, Yamanaka, and Sarutobi were the most recognizable ones. There were others not in canon, I was sure, but I couldn't discern them. There were few kids running around with the same hair color, face structure, skin color, and eye shape, whom I presumed were born into a clan.

In the second month, we delved into taijutsu. There were weekly taijutsu matches, which I was never excited for; I hated being pitted against a clan brat who knew their shit, and thus, beat me horribly, all while having kids snicker at me.

The boy with the tanned skin and hazel eyes barely talked to me after teasing me about my androgynous **(1) **appearance; my eyes were always burning into his skull as he rolled his pencil around his finger. I squinted at him as I thought back to our encounter. I absentmindedly fingered my short locks. Although everyone in my family had long, bright hair, my hair was cropped short and black.

My thoughts drifted away from the boy and to my family; the Ochas originated from Cha no Kuni, which is a small country. I remembered that the Land of Tea appeared in fillers, so I wrote it off as non-canon. However, now that I _did have family members there…_

My aunt, uncle, and grandfather all shared the sunny, tangerine colored hair, while my grandmother had muddy brown hair that was assorted with graying hair.

I hadn't known my mother, but I've seen pictures. She shared my grandmother's green eyes, although hers were filled with youth and were iridescent. Her hair was a white blonde, falling to her collar bone. She was tan like the rest of the Ochas.

Before I could mull everything over, I heard footsteps and chatter. I blinked lamely and realized that we were leaving to go outside and practice our taijutsu or bukijutsu.

I quickly rose and followed them in pursuit. Taijutsu was… normal for me. In my past life, I avoided P.E. like the plague. However, when I was younger, I roughed up with my sister and brother, and my reflexes had been average, if not above for my age.

I needed to improve my stamina, speed, and stealth. I gazed at the two 'victims' who were staring at each other. Their two fingers were locked together as a sign of unity. Before I could blink, they squared off.

I recognized one of them to be Sarutobi Hikari and Yamanaka Ibo. Ibo was unarguably attractive. Although the girls shrilled and pined over Neji, Ibo was their second choice. His copper colored hair and azure eyes made him an easy candidate. To pile on top of his attributes, he was a kind, soft-spoken boy who didn't glower. I rarely seen him scowl, and a smile was always spread on his face. He had a thin neck and thin face, but he was easily labelled '_cute.'_ His seemingly permanent beam didn't fade as he attempted to block the large punch made by Hikari.

_She was good, _I thought, amazed and slightly envious as she ducked a sloppy kick made by Ibo . _He's good, too, _I thought, envy growing. I thought _my_ reflexes were OK? Hikari and Ibo's were better. They were _made_ for this world; their brains were literally wired and evolved to have above average reflexes and quick thinking.

_Gosh, I hope I don't fight a clan-brat, _I prayed. If I did, I'd be destroyed.

Gulping, I watched as Ibo's fingers wrapped around Hikari's ankles and caused her to stumble and fall. She plopped on her butt, her teeth clicking as she winced. Ibo's fist was inches before her face. Her large, chestnut brown eyes were wide as saucers. The tension was thick, almost suffocating around me. The cheers died down with the impending thought: _what'll Ibo do next? _

I learned quickly that in this society, no one chastised anyone for punching or physically harming a girl. Although some were still traditional and frowned upon fighting women, or even women fighting, no one would scold or shun you for punching a girl in the nose. It wasn't a one sided society. You had to do what you had to do to survive and avoid injuries, and seeping sympathy because of one's gender and biology structure wasn't the best idea.

Suddenly, screams erupted among the quiet crowd. I clapped reluctantly, jealousy filling my body.

Akari-sensei's lips quirked into a smile.

"Good job, Ibo-kun, Hikari-chan," she praised. "Hikari, you need to work on your reaction time-" She began to gently evaluate and pick apart the flaws in their performance. After a few minutes, they were sent off and Akari-sensei brought out the next victims.

I shrunk behind three bodies of girls, stress and anxiety filled my veins and brain; my eyes darted from the bodies leaving and leaving me exposed. I had the urge to blend in with the bodies, and I almost did, until Akari-sensei called my name:

_Ocha Ichigo and Hyuuga Neji. _

My heart stopped. I swore I couldn't breathe. I felt the air around my clench tightly around my lungs, feeling restricted. I was frozen and paralyzed, _**I was going to be fucking fighting Neji, **__and ohshit, ohshit ohshit ohshi-_

I felt my throat lumpen and tears form at my eyes.

"Ichigo-chan?" Akari-sensei repeated. Neji was already up, his eyes hard and lowered, his bandages wrapped around his pale forehead, concealing his seal.

I did the only logical thing: I gave up.

"Akari-sensei," I murmured, running my fingers through my short hair. "I give up. I-I-"

"This is essential for you," My instructor replied flatly. "This isn't optional."

I swallowed as I refused to meet my eyes with the pale-eyed boy. Girls shrilled for my opponent, encouraging him to '_kick my ass' _and "_**ganbatte!" **_

I had little to no taijutsu practice. From running the teahouse to studying for my exams and chakra theory, I couldn't exactly punch a wooden log. I fixated my gaze onto Neji's shoes and sucked on my knuckles.

My left hand rose in a unity sign, and I tried not to cringe when my fingers briefly brushed Neji's. _Avoid, avoid, avoid, avoid, avoid, avoi-_

My eyelids felt heavy in my sockets.

"_Hajime!" _

I _saw _Neji's fist. I _meant to duck. _But with his Byakugan activated and his obvious superiority over to me, I dumbly stood there, sucking my knuckles, and felt his hands connect with my cheek.

I've been punched before. Once, when I was in seventh grade, a girl yanked on my hair and punched my face. It hurt, but after about four minutes, the pain receded and I didn't feel the pain. I was off to go, smiling after ten minutes and returning to my studies.

This time, it hurt like _hell. _I'm not sure what powers Neji possesses, but it _hurt. _I felt my body literally lift and tumble to the floor, my body crumbling to the soil. I felt tears sting my eyes and I chewed my lip painfully to stop myself from wailing.

_Fuck! That hurt, _I swore in my head.

"I quit!" I burst out. "I said I quit before, ne? _I don't want to fight him!_" Sheer humiliation and pain caused me to blurt that out at my teacher disrespectfully. I rubbed at my eyes, ignoring the gawks and snickers I got. I didn't even _want _to see Neji's bored face. I clutched my cheek, feeling moans rise in my throat as my cheek throbbed.

"Ichigo-chan, calm down," my sensei commanded sternly, but I was pacing around.

"I _don't _want to fight him! He wins!" I flailed my free arm, rubbing my cheeks in anger, humiliation, and pain.

"Ichigo-chan," Akari-sensei said sternly. She gripped my shoulders, pulling me aside. "You need to work on your temper."

I stared at her incredulously, fighting the urge to bite back, "_I've never lost my temper. This is my first time, you ugly raspberry!" _

"Ichigo-chan," she repeated, "calm down. Mmkay? You need to work on your taijutsu and reflexes-"

"Why'd you pair _me_ up with _him?_" I asked her suddenly. I was surprised with my own courage, but then again, humiliation can make you say a lot of things. "Obviously, he has his eyes. He can see _everything. _Why don't you pit another clan kid with him, instead of me, a civilian, with no special talents or jutsus whatsoever?"

Akari-sensei blinked at me, then straightened up, regarding me coolly.

"In the battlefield, Ichigo-chan," She replied icily, "you will not get to choose who is your opponent. You may be unlucky enough to fight a kekkei genkai user. You don't get to throw tantrums."

With that, she walked off, leaving me in solitary and shame.

_She was right, _I realized, mortified. She was right, and I knew it. I couldn't throw a tantrum if I met someone with a kick ass kekkei genkai; I had to work around it.

I was too disgraced to return to the circle of cheering kids, so I stood there from the distance, watching as the peach boy and a shy, brunette girl walk up. I tuned them out quickly, still clutching my cheek.

* * *

"Ne, Ichigo-chan, what happened?" My uncle inquired as he gestured to my patched up cheek. I poked the foam, glued with a bandaid that soaked up any blood.

"Ah," I flushed, thinking about my temper tantrum. "Taijutsu practice against a Hyuuga."

"Ah," My uncle nodded in understanding, looping his shoulder around my body, "I understand. We're gonna go straight to the teahouse, so-"

"_Anosa, Anosa!_" I interrupted, "can we stop by the weapons' place? I want to purchase a few stuff."

"Why?" He asked, stitching his thick, silver brows together.

"I've got to train, somehow," I replied. "I'm not apart of a clan. Who'll train me?"

My uncle mulled this over. His fingers on his chin as he stood there. I stared at him hopefully. _Say yes, say yes, say yes-_

He waved his hand.

"Well, it better be quick. Okaachan will throw a fit if we're not here in time. What d'you need?"

I beamed at him positively. I was, in a weird way, glad that I battled against Neji. Though I tiptoed over future Team Gai and any other canon characters, should I change something in the future, the battle with Neji and the small exchange with Akari-sensei opened my eyes: I was too sheltered. By losing, I was able to learn that _it didn't matter who you fight, _it matters _how. _You've got to be cunning and ruthless. You can't hesitate due to sympathy in battle, like Neji had done. He didn't pause at my face to get his point across. His fist connected with my cheek painfully, and I got the message. Merciless, ruthlessness, and cold-hearted were accepted in the shinobi society, and if I were to survive, I'd have to adapt. I couldn't give up in battle. I had to try to the death.

* * *

_**FOOTNOTES **_

androgynous; having physical characteristics in both sexes.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay, so this chapter is probably _not _the best. I wanted to make it clear that Ichigo literally had no chance against Neji, as he is the strongest Genin, and presumably was the strongest kid in his year. I described Ichigo loosely here. At first, she would've have pink hair and black eyes, but I didn't want to seem I modelled her after Sakura. As you can read, she has short, black hair. This arc will be glossed over and summarised quickly. I predict by chapter five or six, maybe seven, she'll be graduated. I'm leaning towards chapter five, because I want this arc to be finished ASAP, then we'll be moving to the team arc. Ichigo will take her taijutsu training seriously.

I think that's all to cover? Thanks for reading!


	5. 練習 (PRACTICE)

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(ARC 1: Academy Arc)**_

**Chapter Five: ****練習 ****(PRACTICE)**

I blinked exhaustingly at Akari-sensei as her lips move, but nothing was coming out. I rubbed at my eyes as I tried to follow her lips. She was discussing chakra theory.

In my spare time, which I had little to none, I would write down notes of what I knew on the Naruto world. I knew my memories were slowly slipping away from me, and I was desperately clinging to them. In the dead of night, I would write down names that I knew randomly:

_**Susan - Mom. **_

_**Whitney - roommate/best friend. **_

_**Josh - brother. **_

I licked my lips as I remembered last nights events. I received little hours of sleep due to my writings.

Mostly, everything was after Kyuubi attack. I was regretting on not catching up on Naruto. My knowledge was sorely limited. I knew the manga was nearly finished, if not finished by the time of my death.

All I knew was that the Akatsuki was the main enemy in Naruto. Sasori and Deidara would soon attack Gaara, and Deidara soon gets a new partner, a mysterious, comedic relief character, Tobi. Judging from his antics, he's not a flashy member.

There _was_ the leader of Akatsuki with ringed, purple eyes and a silhouette, but that was it.

I suddenly felt something hit my face. I snapped up from my reminiscing thoughts and blinked owlishly.

"Nice of you to join us," Akari-sensei snipped. I blinked, before flushing in humiliation.

"Ah, gomen nasai, Akari-sensei," I murmured an apology before averting my attention to her.

Akari-sensei spared me a glower and continued with her discussion of chakra theory.

* * *

After Akari-sensei was sure we understood the theory of chakra, which _I didn't, _and made sure we were familiar with clans, history of Konoha, (a man named Senju Hashirama, the first Hokage, founded the village, along with Uchiha Madara.) and hand seals, which took us four months or more, give or take a few, we moved on to bukijutsu.

We would practice bukijutsu daily after lunch. I failed terribly at bukijutsu, which was no surprise. I had no aim anyways, so I didn't bother practicing it at home. Tenten, was of course, the best at bukijutsu. Everyone would marvel at her aim, although sometimes, it was off. She was still the best in our class, with Hyuuga Neji and Sarutobi Hikari trailing behind her.

I was easily the last in my class at bukijutsu. When it was my shift to hurl weapons, they would soar past the target, past the log, and lodge itself in a tree branch, or whizz past a student. I'd fluster, mumble an apology, and return to the back of the line to continue. It was a routine, which I was familiar with. At this point, Akari-sensei gave up on me excelling at bukijutsu.

I slowly improved in taijutsu. Not only was that the only branch of jutsu that I was able to practice at home without supervision, it was slightly 'easier' and more convenient than ninjutsu. When I was a fan of Naruto, I'd admire the rapid hand seals and the flashy ninjutsus. Now that I'm literally living in the world, I was quickly finding it easier to practice taijutsu. I didn't enjoy practicing ninjutsus because I would get slightly frustrated. I was only able to practice at school, and even then, it wasn't enough. _If I was able to pass, _I'd be free to perform ninjutsus with a Jounin-sensei.

Although I'm not able to defeat Neji or even Tenten in taijutsu, I was slowly, but surely improving. Even Akari-sensei would send me nods if I glanced to her during a taijutsu brawl (which would then cause my opponent to defeat me). I was satisfied with my taijutsu progress, even if my ninjutsu skills weren't unparalleled.

I ran my fingers through my hair in relief as we all filed back inside. I wasn't too excited to fail at aiming my weapons for the _fourth time. _I sat in my seat, ignoring all the chatter.

I didn't have any 'friends'. I wasn't too sad about it, either. I had acquaintances who I'd partner up with during duo assignments, but I wouldn't call them my friend. My one and only 'enemy' was the peach-boy, and that was only one sided. He didn't spare me a glance. He walked past me like I was a brick wall, even if I scowled at him. I still held a grudge with iron claws due to the fact that he called me a 'boy'. _So, _I have a sharp jawline and my voice isn't the highest? And _just _because my hair isn't particularly soft or long and just because my eyelashes or unusually short _doesn't _mean I'm boyish, or I'm not particularly attractive doesn't bean I resemble a boy-right?

All of my thoughts caused me to glower at Peach-Boy's hair. His hair _was _abnormally glossy, and his hair his uneven. I narrowed my eyes at him, sending negative vibes.

_Ugly jerk, _I thought bitterly.

I drummed my fingers against my desk as I tuned into Akari-sensei's voice.

"Now, it's been about six months of schooling. You have understood chakra theory to a certain extent-" she narrowed her eyes at us, and I heard a nervous cough from the back of the room. "-and you're slowly learning taijutsu, hand seals, and moulding your chakra. You'll be having a graduation exam in four months."

After that announcement, children scrambled to practice. I could almost _foresee _Rock Lee's tears and Gai's consoling. I knew it had to be around this time, because he was donning his silk, Chinese-esque robe and his glossy braid.

I excused myself from the teahouse to partake in training. Although my grandmother was reluctant, my grandfather and uncle gently coaxed and convinced her into agreeing, although she would send me icy glares whenever I dropped off my bag at the teahouse.

After the exam was finished, which would be around January or December, we'd graduate, depending on our results. We'd move up a class; which meant after we graduate, Naruto and his peers would finally be in the Academy.

Our exam would be based on ninjutsu, which I knew would be difficult for Rock Lee. However, I knew he'd be able to graduate, although I'm not sure how, but I know it worked out for him.

The exam would be based on a simple technique taught to us when we first entered the Academy; it was the _Nawanuke no jutsu, _or the Rope Escape jutsu. It was an E-rank jutsu, fairly simple to perform. I've concluded that an Academy instructor or Chuunin will tie the ropes on the student; the student would have to successfully perform the jutsu.

I've been begging for my family to tie me up, but they'd send me perplexed glances. After much pleading, my grandfather finally tied me up with thin ropes.

**I (**_**boar)**_**, Saru **_**(monkey). **_

It was difficulty having to perform the two hand seals in my restricted state, but I was slowly getting the hang of it. After much practicing, I decided that ninjutsu wasn't _so _bad, although I still preferred taijutsu; I didn't like the slimy feeling when I was forced to mould my chakra. Although I was much more sensitive to chakra than other children, I wasn't a 'sensory' ninja; sensory nin had to mould their chakra; however, I still wasn't accustomed (and my body wasn't adapted) to the slimy, slick, cold feeling when I mould my chakra to perform ninjutsus. It's slightly indescribable, and chakra is an odd subject for me. Chakra was buzzing and circulating my body. It wasn't exactly _liquid or gas. _It wasn't solid, either. It was warm, and it encased my internal organs like a blanket.

Back in my old life, I wasn't conscious of my organs. I knew my heart was there, and I felt it beating when I sporadically exercised, but other than that, it wasn't on my mind daily. However, chakra made me _feel _my heart pounding regardless if I was exercising or not. It was hard to describe, and in my first few years of developing my chakra network, it was _uncomfortable. _I never liked blood, and the thought of my heart pumping it every second made me uneasy.

When I performed ninjutsus, I'd feel my chakra _expand, in some sort, _and I'd feel something cold splash on my chakra.

After consistently moulding and practicing the _nawanuke _jutsu, the cool feeling went away. I was slowly, but surely adapting to my developing chakra network and I was thankful.

"Ne, Ichigo-chan," My grandmother called, "are you alright? You've been practicing all night."

I blinked owlishly. I realized that I was too immersed in my thoughts that I was still in ropes. I winced at the pain; the ropes were digging into my wrists.

"Ah-I'm fine. After another round I'll come back in the house. Please make me some peppermint tea," I replied. I knew how to make my grandmother happy. By simply asking to make me a cup of tea, she'd light up and dash off, even with her weathering limbs.

True to my theory, she brightened, a smile spreading across her tan face.

"Comin' right up," She said, and sauntered off, her silver hair slipping out her messy bun.

Once she was out my vision, I gritted my teeth. Damn. Ojiisan tied the ropes a _little _too tight. I bit my lip as my shoulders dug into the cold grass, the ropes scraping against my wrist.

_**I, Saru. **_

I thought rigidly as my hands struggled to make the sign. I felt the cold, slimy feeling, and I knew that I was about to suffer a case of chakra exhaustion. However, credited to my determination and prolonged practices, I felt the ropes slip off from my wrists. I breathed, relief washing over me. The smell of tea lingered outside, tempting my senses. I got up quickly, discarded the ropes on the floor, and sprinted inside, rubbing my now red wrists, my mouth watering.

* * *

The months whizzed past us quickly. Akari-sensei glossed over genjutsu. I understood a minimal extent of it. Genjutsu affected the cerebrum part of the brain; the user controls the chakra flows of the opponent's brain. Many doujutsu specialize in this, however the strongest doujutsu, the Sharingan, is the most popular and most recognized.

There were certain clans that utilized in genjutsu, including, but not limited to the Kurama, Yuuhi, and Yume clans. Genjutsu affects the motion and activity through the prosencephalon structure of the brain; certain clans are able to fend genjutsu off due to an outside source, most notably the Aburame clan. Their bugs lack the forebrain structure, and are least susceptible to falling for a genjutsu.

Genjutsu wasn't something I'd use in the future. One of the main reasons is for my theory of my chakra structure. I have functioning chakra coils; I can use chakra and perform ninjutsu alright, unlike Rock Lee. However, because my 'spiritual chakra' wasn't from this world, it wasn't the same as most of the humans wandering this Earth, which is why I was sensitive to chakra. I had a very, very, _very _low chance of me becoming a medical ninja, since I had to have very precise chakra control, which is also the reason why I wouldn't be able to perform genjutsu.

All of this theorizing and thinking made my eyes and head hurt. I rubbed my eyes tiredly and tuned into Akari-sensei's warnings and cautions. We were getting closer and closer to the graduation exam, and then we'd move up a class and grade. We'd be here for another three years, and off we were to becoming a Genin-if we passed. I had about a month or less, and I needed to absorb all the tips Akari-sensei was throwing us.

"I'm not allowed to give out _too much information_," Akari-sensei began, "but I'll give out the general info. There'll be a Hyuuga to observe the way you control and use your chakra-" there was a strangled cry from the back of the room-"-and there will be three chuunins observing your demonstration. I hope all of you are practicing."

I scowled, rubbing my wrists. They were no longer red, but there were still visible marks wrapping around them that made me frown when I saw them.

After her lecture, we were dismissed for lunch, and then we were back outside for bukijutsu.

* * *

The day of the exam sped by quickly; it consisted of me on the floor, gritting my teeth, relentlessly practicing the godforsaken ninjutsu. If I wasn't doing that, I was pouring tea and making tea.

"You're gonna becoming a kunoichi, but that doesn't mean you won't be running the shop in the future," My aunt would nag halfheartedly. When the exam rolled by, I was stressed, my wrists were red and scratched, and I felt like I hadn't slept in days. I knew better than to practice jutsus at home, but I did it anyways, and this was the result; growling stomachs even after a full meal, heavy eyes and slightly trembling fingers.

After I finished off my tea and raced off to school, the cold, realization dumped on me: _what if I fail? _

Possibilities wandered into my mind almost immediately.

_If I fail, I'll be put into another year, possibly the same class as Rookie Nine. _I knew that if that thought were to become reality, my life would be messed up; three people would be okay, I could easily avoid. But _nine people? _Including Iruka and Mizuki?

With that thought in mind, determination welled in me to not fail. I couldn't fail this exam, if it was the last thing on earth.

With a new resolve, I strode into my classroom, ready to take the exam with confidence.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well, I lied. I was planning for the Academy arc to be finished next chapter or in two, but looks like it'll be finished in around three or four. I'll skim over the next three years, because they won't be _as _important or relevant. Hopefully, I'll finish this arc in or around chapter seven or eight.

Please read &amp; review!


	6. 魂 (SOUL)

**Disclaimer: chapter is dark.**

* * *

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(ARC 1: Academy Arc)**_

**Chapter Six: ****魂 ****(SOUL) **

* * *

Tensions were high during Exam Day. There weren't any shrills or loud, booming voices; I saw two or three kids rapidly flipping through notes and rubbing something suspiciously black etched onto their hands.

I gulped down, trying to cling onto the determination that I once had. It was hard, however; the sight of seeing even the smartest kids (excluding Neji) cramming their notes made my stomach churn. I licked my lips in an almost weary matter, running my fingers through my hair and sat in my seat.

_**I, Saru. **_

I mentally drilled, repeating the hand seals. I practice pulling my hands behind my back, which earned me a few weird looks from overconfident kids who didn't bother cramming into their studies.

I felt nauseated once Akari-sensei opened the door and sashayed in. Running her fingers through her free hair, she lay her cloudy gray eyes on us, her purple eyebrows stitching together.

"I _do _hope you've all been studying," She demanded. I noticed she looked more agitated than usual.

There was silence, and she breathed a sigh. She continued fingering her periwinkle locks, a sign of a distressed personality. She eyed her papers warily.

"First off: _Akamatsu, Natsu_," She said. The small, unfamiliar girl squeaked, and I felt every student shoot her sympathetic looks.

I shrunk in my chair, glad that my last name began with an 'O'.

* * *

My comfort was short-lived. Soon, I heard Akari-sensei's irritated voice: "_Ocha, Ichigo!" _

I made a noise the back of my throat, fingering my locks as I got up, trying to ignore the multiple pairs of eyes burning holes into my back. My legs trembled as I made my way to the secluded room.

My breath hitched when I saw Akari-sensei's purple head, silver eyes, and two unrecognizable ninjas, most likely Chuunin.

"Ichigo-chan," Akari-sensei said, trying to crack a smile, but failing miserably and settled for a grimace. "Would you please allow Natori-kun to tie your hands?"

I nodded hesitantly. The aforementioned man clutched a rather thick rope in his hands. I blinked owlishly as he none-too-gently grabbed my hands, tied them behind my back, and barked, "_lay down._"

Humiliation washed over me as I lay down, hurting my chin in the process. I blinked back hot tears as I observed, from my peripheral vision, the silver-eyed Hyuuga activate his bloodline limit.

"Begin, please," Akari-sensei instructed. I swallowed thickly, feeling the ropes dig into my wrists. My body moved as my hands did, and I winced under the pain of my limbs pulling as I tried performing the hand seals.

_**I, Saru, **_I thought, and I felt the slimy, cool feeling as I moulded my chakra. I squeezed my eyes as I felt the ropes slip off me. Without preamble, I quickly stood up, humiliated, albeit proud. I blinked expectantly at the instructors, waiting for any additional comment.

Akari-sensei dismissed me with a flick of her wrist, and without being told twice, I bolted out of there.

* * *

**I sauntered into my house, tugging off my boots. I roamed the house, the scent of familiar tea absent; there was absolute silence. Blinking, I roamed the house, calling out for anyone who would be in there to greet me. To my surprise and fear, no one was there.**

_That's odd, _I thought panickedly, _wouldn't they want to congratulate me? _

My stomach growled, disrupting my panicked thoughts. I walked into the kitchen to retrieve food when I saw a messy, handwritten note:

_**Out in the teahouse. Please come. **_

A smile spread onto my face and I tucked the note into my pocket, slipped on my cobalt boots, and wandered out the house, heading towards the teahouse.

Luck was on my side, I realized; I had passed the exam, and it was awfully easy, although having a Byakugan user was a bit extra. I suppose it'd benefit Rock Lee, what with his nonfunctioning chakra coils.

However, I _passed. _I was in the safe zone. I wouldn't be surrounded by _very _important, _very_ canon characters. There was a possibility that I'd be in a different class than future Team Gai, and I'd be _safe. _

With a triumphant smile, I walked inside the teahouse.

"Ichigo-chan!" As soon as my foot entered the teahouse, I felt my bones crush under a large weight. Bewildered, perplexed, and embarrassed that someone was currently squeezing my bones in front of customers, I attempted to slip out their grip.

"Ah! Obaachan!" I choked out. "I'm-let go of me, please!"

My grandmother released me in ecstasy. She grinned at me.

"Well? Did you pass?"

"Hai. I'm going to be a genin in three more years."

My grandmother's smile loosened, but then she rubbed my hair. "Now, hurry up. We're piling on customers all day-dunno what's going on, but I imagine you can at least pour some tea?"

After informing my hopeful family that I indeed passed-"_oh my gosh, Ichigo-chan, I'm so happy-no, you're spilling the tea!"-_I got to work quickly. The teahouse was only getting bigger, and I was getting older, and it'd be a matter of time before I was brewing the tea and cooking the wagashi.

I ignored my aunt's shrill cry at my mistake and turned to my grandmother, carefully grabbing the hot cup of tea and set it on the metal tray.

"Oh, grandma. In a few weeks, you've got to sign me up for kunoichi classes." I rolled my eyes, wiping my hands on my apron. "It's irksome, but it's required for me."

"Yeah, alright-d'you have chamomile tea?"

* * *

The few weeks of break whizzed by. It consisted of me pouring tea and sleeping. In the shinobi society, the breaks were short and curt; it was a few weeks instead of two months.

When I returned to school, I was elated to reunite with Akari-sensei, who didn't reciprocate my emotions and feelings. I was also agitated to realize that, _yes_, future Team Gai was in my class, and so was Yamanaka Ibo and that mousy, _very ugly _boy who called me a boy on the first day of the Academy.

Kunoichi class was the same as it was depicted in the anime and manga; the same, wild-haired, almost Italian looking woman with red lips and circular classes, shrill, deep voice, and the same bratty kids.

Kunoichi class was boring to me. They told us tips on how to blend in, how to infiltrate, and how to seduce. I soon realized that the shinobi world was cruel and harsh. Pressing and arranging flowers? To savour our tiny childhood and a way to disguise yourself as an innocent woman when you had to seduce your target. It made me uncomfortable, but young girls, _nine and ten year olds_ were taught how to make a man love you, how to seduce _any gender_, and I found myself shrinking into the back, all while listening to her tips that I knew would be helpful in the future.

The manga and anime sugarcoated the _reality_.

Suzume-sensei taught us how to poison flowers, how to poison senbon, and how to poison a drink discreetly. It was raw, it was _surreal _how much I learned in a sugarcoated, pink-depicted class. I decided not to disclose any information of my kunoichi classes to my family, and instead glossed it over.

"How was your kunoichi class?" My aunt would ask.

"Oh, it was great. I learned how to arrange flowers. (_Lies. I found out which flowers were poisonous and how to murder someone with the stem of one.) _How was uncle?"

I didn't realize, until late at night, how barbaric this all was. And when I did, I had a panic attack. My breaths were irregular and I was hyperventilating. I felt like something was lodged in my throat and I tried screaming, but I heard no noise come out my throat; I was shaking horribly, slipping out of bed and clawing at my face as I realized-_what happened to me? I'm not even a ninja yet and I'm already good at lying, I need help, __**Ijustwantedtoprotectmyfamily**_. My heart was racing, and I didn't even hear it anymore.

It was only until my uncle burst in did I realize that I _was_ screaming, and I had tears pooling out my eyes, racing down my cheeks and sliding onto my chin.

I was so good at _lying_-another thing kunoichi classes taught me-that I convinced my family I had a horrible nightmare. I sat down with glassy eyes, and convinced them. I was able to convince them so well, that I could even visualize it, and it made me want to scream again.

After having a talk with me, wiping my eyes, and having a drink of water, I was invited to sleep in my grandparents' room, but I politely declined, and walked into my room shakily.

I slept without my blankets and with the door open that night.

* * *

After that night, I felt like an empty shell. _It's temporary. It's temporary, _I drilled into my head hourly, as I sat down in the grass, my fingers threading through flowers. I narrowed my blue eyes at the flowers as I plucked one out the ground. The kunoichi classes, at least in canon, seemed fun and pink and _girly. _But underneath the pink flowers, giggling schoolgirls and vanilla scented rooms, it was dark and ruthless, lessons of deaths lurking underneath the sugary smiles.

My real classes weren't any better. I was failing terribly at genjutsu for some reason. I couldn't dispel it, no matter how hard I tried, and that usually left me to chakra depletion and a weak body.

While Akari-sensei set up an appointment for a Hyuuga (I learned that in school, a Hyuuga was the equivalent of a nurse; if you can't perform a ninjutsu, call a Hyuuga. Can't perform the Henge? Call a Hyuuga.), I decided to look more into my problems with genjutsu, although I had a small theory.

The reason why I couldn't dispel myself out of a genjutsu was because of my chakra and my 'soul', somehow. Although I had a theory of why I wouldn't be able to excel at genjutsu, the theory could be extend why I couldn't perform it all, or even _dispel myself out of it._

The plain reason was because I wasn't from this world. I was reincarnated, so my spiritual chakra isn't balanced with my physical chakra.

Everyone in the world had a chakra system. They had chakra-without it, you couldn't even live. They had equally distributed, balanced chakras: physical and spiritual chakra. The spiritual energy is in your mind-this is the part of me that remained-and it could be argued it's also your soul, which is also the part of me that remained. The physical energy is inside every cell of my body, which is _not _mine; I gained physical energy when I was reincarnated, but I retained my spiritual energy.

Physical energy can be increased by training; spiritual energy can be increased and amplified by meditating.

I do _not _have a perfect balance. My spiritual energy is more prominent and dominant, which can be a reason why I can't dispel a genjutsu. My spiritual energy is old; it's not wired or evolved to detect and be able to dispel genjutsu. My chances of becoming a medic or a genjutsu specialist were very slim, if not, _impossible. _

I suspected the Hyuuga would tell me everything what I theorized, so I patiently filled in time by listening to Akari-sensei's studies and trying _not _to have a panic attack.

* * *

What with my vacant, over worrying mind and filled lifestyle (studying and working the teahouse), my school year slipped by. Before I knew it, I was ten (being slightly older than the kids in my class by a few months) and I was studying for the final exam.

Kunoichi classes still made me jolt awake at night and gasp, but I stopped having major panic attacks. My tanned skin had scratches etched onto them, but they were easily concealed with a jacket. I wasn't ready to be a shinobi, and it was evident with my vacant eyes and hyperventilation. Mentally, I wasn't ready to put my life on the line.

After a while, _it happened. _

The Uchihas were murdered.

It was a silent, thick day; it was cloudy and gray and solemn, and I just _knew_, as I walked through the streets and heard the hisses, whispers, and gossips, it happened.

It was confirmed when the Uchiha, who I later learned to be named Taiyō, was absent. Akari-sensei had told us, her voice thick with tears and wavering, her eyes red, her jaw clenched tight.

Although I didn't _know _him, I felt my stomach churn in fear. He was dead. A little boy-_was fucking dead, _and he was the one who yelled in class and pointed at his back to brag that he was an Uchiha-_he was the one who challenged Hyuuga Neji and called Hyuugas snobs_-he was the one who bragged that he would unlock his Sharingan, he was the one who chewed with his mouth open.

I saw a few kids weep silently. Neji's face was stony and unreadable, his pallid eyes staring straight ahead.

If someone could be here one day and gone the next, just like that, what'll stop the shinobi world from swallowing me the same way?

* * *

_**Word Count: 2236**_

_Author's Note: _This chapter is kinda dark instead of mildly funny. It's a bit confusing with the explanation of spiritual energy vs. physical energy. I know it's confusing, but bear with me please. Spiritual energy = soul/mind. Physical energy = your body. Heaven = spiritual energy. Earth = your body. Because Ichigo was reincarnated, her spiritual energy, _remember it's your soul/mind_, remained, so it's slightly more than her physical energy, which is her body energy. Alright? So, she can't perform or dispel genjutsu. If she were ever to be against an Uchiha, she'd be mutilated, because she cannot protect herself against genjutsu.


	7. 終わり(THE END)

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(Arc 1: Academy Arc)**_

**Chapter Seven: ****終わり****(THE END)**

* * *

After the Uchiha Massacre, it opened my family's eyes; they heard it over newspapers, of course, as well as gossiping customers who couldn't lower their voices.

"_Ichigo-chan, are you sure you want to do this… 'shinobi business'? I mean, did you hear on the clan that got killed-" _

_**I heard. I know the consequences I can face for becoming a shinobi. A boy disappeared from my class. **_

Even my oblivious uncle saw my emotions. I suppose I was an open boosaid, warming his face into a smile.

I gave him a short nod, formed the necessary hand seals: _**Inu, I, hitsuji. **_

I felt the slick feeling in the pits of my body, and my fingers faltered. In a k, rubbing at my eyes at the dinner table and going to bed early, although they can still see my room bright with lights and the door opened.

The exam was, much to my relief, concerning ninjutsu. It was akin to how it was in canon; to perform a henge jutsu. Henge jutsus were fairly simple for me, even with my abundant spiritual energy, and I found them fascinating. I found myself transforming into my grandmother, and to a figure awfully similar to the Beyonce in my past life.

The day of the exam, I wasn't jitterish like last time, and no one was scurrying to find notes to cram last minute. Even Akari-sensei looked neater and smoother; her mauve hair was tied into a smooth bun, secured with two, harmless senbon. Her eyes looked warmer and her lips weren't thinned into a grimace, scowl, or frown.

When she called my name, I entered the similar room. I found myself feeling déjà vu when I saw a chuunin and Akari-sensei standing there.

"Ah, Ocha-san. I would like for you to perform the henge jutsu," The chuunin small puff of smoke, I felt myself heighten and an uncomfortable skin clamp onto mine. It was as if I had a wet towel sewn onto my skin; the henge jutsu was efficient and convenient, but uncomfortable.

The sounds of a pencil scratching a paper filled the room.

"Good job, Ichigo-chan. You passed." Akari-sensei declared, a smile cracking her face. I nodded, exchanging a smile, and sauntered out the room.

* * *

I wiped my chin as the warm tea dribbled down the corner of my mouth.

"How many years do you have left, Ichigo-chan?" My aunt inquired as she licked her finger, smeared with icing.

"Ah - " I thought, placing a finger on my chin. " - I think one year left."

My grandmother knitted her eyebrows together, frowning slightly. I didn't miss her scowl, but I ignored it. I knew that look. Concern.

She was concerned for me when I graduated and was sorted into a new genin team; she was worried that every time I stepped out the village, I was on the brink to my death. She was worried about the foul, dark secrets in the shinobi business, tied with seduction and liquor. She was _scared._

And I was scared, too. Because after I graduate, there's no going back. There's either failing or death. I can't just quit and become a civilian. There _was no going back. _

I didn't bother consoling her. I can't lie and tell her I'll be fine. I can't give her pretty words and sweet assurances, because I can't promise anything. I might die on my first mission like many genins. I might break my arm or get my throat silt, because in this society, the weak are trampled on by the alphas - the strong - and there's no in between. I have to survive, and I can't make sweet promises.

I missed the days where I had the abilities to.

* * *

During my break, which was very short, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the walks around the village with my aunt. I enjoyed the training of me making wagashi and brewing tea leaves. While I was training to become a shinobi, I was also training on how to brew tea; in the Ocha family, it was _tradition _for us to brew tea. It was in our blood.

I wasn't excited to return to school. It was my last day, dammit, and after that, I was alone.

I licked my lips as I woke up, the scent of peppermint tea wafting through the house. After taking a quick, sleepy bath and pulling my short hair into a presentable style, I walked out the house, skipping breakfast. My stomach was churning and I was positive I was going to puke up my breakfast if I had wolfed it down.

The sun beams splashed on my skin and I welcomed the warmth as I ran down the street, past the barking civilians, to the Academy.

By then, I knew that the universe despised me. I knew what I was to see when I entered the classroom - the same people, including future Team Gai, who coincidentally sat with each other despite the fact that they barely conversed.

My eyes ran over the occupants of the class; the same old people. With a resigned sigh, I slipped into a chair and sat down, sliding my fingers over the wooden desk.

* * *

I tugged my boots off, wandering into the Ocha residence. The smell of green tea wafted through the air; loud laughs glided through the air. A weary smile slipped onto my face; school was stressing me out and I instantly warmed up when I entered my house, surrounded by my loving family. School physically, emotionally, and mentally weared me up. What with the constant drilling of the importance of survival, (_**be fast, don't let that kunai touch you, be careful of depleting your chakra, be wary of any hidden exploding tags and unspoken kekkei genkai - ) **_seduction and infiltration, _**(be sexy and seductive, push your boobs out and sway your hips, wear flattering perfume and let your cool fingertips linger on her or him, bite your lip and twirl your hair -)**_ and the importance of strength (_**train, train, train, train, train, train, train)**_. My family's tea warmed my insides. Their smiles made my stress lower; but at the dead of night, while everyone was snoring, my light was on and I was chewing frantically on my nails, flipping through scrolls and textbooks.

However, it seems that my mentality and wariness was unique to me. Perhaps it was because my spiritual energy, or conscience, remained, so my concepts of immoral and moral actions were warped and fucked up. While the kids thought it was perfectly fine to murder a three year old if it was for the sake of their village, I was hesitant to even kill _anyone. _All I wanted to do was protect my family. I didn't want to - - _kill. _I didn't want to fuck an eighty year old royalty-clad man for the sake of my village and gaining information; I didn't want to seduce a fifteen year old girl to infiltrate an enemy's information or base. I wanted to protect. I didn't think it'd mean all of _this. _

Canon Narutoverse glorified and glossed over _a lot_ of stuff.

"Ichigo-chan? Daijoubu?" My grandmother inquired. I realized I was sunk deep into my thoughts. I blinked owlishly, returning my gaze and attention to her.

"Eh? Ah - - I'm fine, sorry. Were you saying something?"

She kept her gaze lingering on me, filled with worry and suspicion. I wrung my hands anxiously, chewing on my lips, trying to throw the attention off of me.

"Ah - how was the tea shop?" I questioned. That inquiry set my family off. With excited chatters about new imports of tea leaves from _Cha no Kuni_ and new customers, I was allowed to dwindle in my thoughts again.

Would I survive? Or would I die, just like that Uchiha boy - here the next day, grinning and laughing, then killed the next, a kunai to my throat or bleeding out?

* * *

School whizzed by quickly. I was struggling in many aspects; first, genjutsu. Genjutsu was inarguably the _worst _subcategory of jutsu - ever. I wasn't sure how Uchiha Itachi would be so keen in using it, or Yuuhi Kurenai. With my abundant spiritual chakra and imbalance of my chakra system, I was forced to ignore genjutsu. To put it gently? If I were to face Itachi, Kurenai, Kakashi, or virtually _anyone _able to perform even E-ranked genjutsus, I wouldn't be able to dispel it without outside help. This was easily demonstrated when one of my senseis performed a very simple genjutsu.

It took a burst of chakra to pull me out of the genjutsu. The images were vivid.

It was similar to how humans, at least in _my_ world, dream. Until you're trained in how to distinguish reality from dreams and how to lucid dreams, you're trapped in your randomly generated dream. It's sort of like that; I'm not aware I was in a dream until I wake up. Even the wildest dreams, I'm perceiving it as reality until I jolt awake.

Genjutsu is loosely similar. I'm not able to discern reality from genjutsu, even if it's completely wild and beyond human comprehension. My brain is _perceiving _it as reality, and until someone breaks me out of the genjutsu, I'm completely submerged, helpless and defenseless.

Becoming a medical nin is similar. Becoming a medical nin requires perfect control of yin and yang chakra - I will most likely contain an imbalance, with more yin (spiritual) chakra than yang (physical).

My senseis have declared me a lost cause.

Ninjutsu is eerily easy to me, and it causes me the urge to learn most of the jutsus in the world; however, I can't be bothered with the uncomfortable, slick feeling I receive when I mould my chakra. It starts at the pits of my stomach, pulling almost to my throat, making me feel like bile rising at my throat; I also am limited to training with ninjutsu at home, what with my average amount of chakra and my civilian family, unable to supervise me.

Buukijutsu is a very broad category; I'm no Tenten. I'm not even average. On some days, I hit, and other days, (most days) I miss. ninjutsu isn't my favorite, and I glazed over kenjutsu. It's very boring and too much to handle. In a realistic battle, I'd rather be empty handed.

Taijutsu is the one thing I can practice at home and it's easier for me. Speed isn't really my expertise, but since I wasn't about to put extensive time to learn fuuinjutsu, I'd rather learn in taijutsu. After much coaxing, I conviced my parents to purchase a self training log for easy access to self train.

By the time I was done training, my wrists were red and sore and I was limping. I downed some tea, exchanged a few words with my family, and left to tend to myself upstairs.

I could tell my grandma was growing more and more concerned by the minute; when I gave her a weary, "_ohayo!"_ or when I flashed her a tired smile, she'd scrunch her eyebrows together in suspicion and worry. She didn't bother asking me if I was okay; I think she knew that I wasn't, and I'd give her a lie. She didn't want me to give her a blatant lie to her face.

After many days of routine - being slowly brainwashed into putting the village's values and future before my life, and serving the daimyo and Hokage - I was slowly reaching the end. My fingers would tremble with excitement and fear. I was frightened to be thrust into the harsh, seductive, cold world of the shinobi; where my body would be my prized possession, both in strength and sexual matters. I was excited to finally get the schooling over with and broaden my abilities.

I think the fear won over excitement, and I plunged myself into tea making instead of studying. I detested kunoichi classes, (seriously, how can these young girls prance around and sing and gossip, when they were being taught how to please a man into giving away his secrets and how to seduce a person?) and the Academy made me even more frightened and disgusted of the shinobi world, so I instead delved into how to make tea.

"I want to know how to make tea. All I'm doing is sitting around and pouring tea," I explained airily to my grandmother, flashing her a quick smile, "how 'bout I learn about green tea?"

My grandmother's suspicion didn't fade from her sharp eyes, but she pursed her lips and complied with my request, and soon, excitement dripped from her voice as she discussed about the makings of tea; soon, however, customers filed in and she shooed me off to align and wash the tea cups.

Finally, however, the day had come where I had to take the exam: the infamous bunshin jutsu.

I had expected the Academy to switch it up so that siblings of older kids who had previously taken the exam couldn't be aided in learning the jutsu; however, they were extremely lenient, and we were tasked on how to perform the bunshin jutsu.

To be frank, the bunshin jutsu was rather neutral. It wasn't hard, per say; although it required much more practicing and it made me want to throw up, honestly, (what with that slick, cold, slimy feeling resting in the pits of my stomach rising to my throat) I was able to perform it with relative ease. Anyone who could mould their chakra to some extent was able to perform the clone jutsu, and I passed with average scores.

I was hesitant to leave the room with Akari-sensei sitting down. Her gray eyes were on me, warm and congratulating, and her lips parted to applaud and congratulate me for passing the exam, but I didn't let her finish. I didn't feel my body move as I wrapped my fingers around her shoulders, her head resting on my shoulder blades.

"I'm going to miss you, Akari-sensei," I murmured into her rough, periwinkle hair. I could tell her eyes were widened from my back. Her hands were stiff and her body was rigid, but she eased and relaxed into my hug.

"Ah - yeah, Ichigo-chan. Just - erm, work on your emotional state and your genjutsu. You'll be fine."

A smile slipped onto my face with her awkward, faux reassurance. We both knew that ninjas, especially kunoichi, who were statistically shown to fall prey to genjutsu more than their male counterparts, couldn't possibly survive in the shinobi world without skills in genjutsu. However, I didn't say anything, and she didn't either.

"Here." She said, breaking the hug. Her fingers wrapped around the metal, reflecting hitai-ate, and my breath caught in my throat.

It was exactly as it was in the anime. I was hesitant to even touch it. I knew that once my fingers connected with the cold metal, that my fingers would be stained with blood and guilt.

I tried to ignore the questioning glances of Akari-sensei and the other chuunins, but soon, their judging, burning gazes scorched my back, and with pressure, I touched the metal. Shivers and electricity shot up my body. I bit my lip and grabbed the hitai-ate.

"Arigatou," I finally said. I clutched it.

"Are you going to put it on?" one of the chuunins questioned me.

"Yeah," I answered, but I walked off, with the cold hitai-ate tucked neatly in the palms of my hands. I pushed out the suffocating room, my breaths irregular as I fought to catch oxygen. I felt as if I were choking.

I rubbed my throat and stared down at my hitai-ate.

"You're scared?" I heard a slightly feminine voice. My head shot up, and my eyes met with Yamanaka Ibo's eyes. His chiseled face seemed to glow effortlessly. I can see why he was Hyuuga Neji's rival in terms of looks, not that either one cared. The fan girls, however, did. It was seemingly similar to the 'Team Edward vs. Team Jacob', although the tittering little girls only cared about it.

I was a silent, closet fangirl of both. I often liked to describe Neji and Ibo's appearance in great detail. They were too beautiful to _not _marvel at.

"Ah? Oh, I already passed," I said. I gave him an unsure, cautious smile and pointed my finger to the tightly gripped hitai-ate. "See?"

"I know," He replied quietly, a small smile quirking his lips. "Are you scared to be a shinobi?"

I didn't bother correcting him on my gender, and instead, scrunched my eyebrows together.

"Eh? What d'you mean?"

Ibo uncrossed his arms and stood up from his sitting position. His small, twelve-year old face seemed slightly mature, along with his voice and eloquent speech.

"I mean - are you scared? To put your life on the line for your village? Are you scared to kill someone? To seduce someone just to gain informaton?"

I blinked at his question. I felt bile rise in my throat at being reminded of what I had to do.

Before I could answer, however, Ibo looked up at the ceiling, a wistful smile on his face.

"Ah… sometimes I wonder if it's worth it. Why are we dehumanizing ourself just for the status and the sake of economy in our village?"

I felt like my jaw was going to break. I was surprised to hear such sage words from a twelve year old boy. He should be wondering about what boobs feel like and how to make out with a girl - not about _this. _

Before I could even reply, I heard Akari-sensei's voice ring out.

"_Yamanaka Ibo."_

I realized we spent quite sometime talking. He realized it too, and he blinked owlishly.

"I'll see you, Budo-chan!" He called, and walked off.

I sighed, not bothering to correct him that my name _wasn't grape, _**Budo**, but it was _strawberry, _**Ichigo. **I turned around and walked out the Academy. I spotted my family, waiting patiently with worry etched onto their faces. A smile crawled onto my face.

"_**Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it - why are we dehumanizing ourselves just for the status and the sake of economy in our village?" **_

I wonder that, too. However, I find that it's _**definitely **_worth dehumanizing myself and risking my life just to protect my family from the evils lurking in the shinobi society. It's worth every fear that I had grow inside of me as I matured throughout the Academy, just to keep them safe.

* * *

**END OF ARC 1 (Academy ARC): **


	8. 会議 (MEETING)

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(Arc II: Takigakure arc)**_

**Chapter Eight: ****会議 ****(MEETING)**

* * *

My family was in an celebratory uproar at the news that I passed. When my boots hit the grass and the sun rays splashed on my skin, I saw them: huddled together, worried eyebrows scrunched together and frantic chewings of their lips. But when our eyes met, I instantly exploded.

I ran to them in excitement.

"I passed," I informed them. Their screams caused parents near them to glare. They exploded into happiness and genuine excitement.

"I'm so happy!" my aunt gushed in ecstasy, "_my _niece is a full-fledged ninja. How would the others at _Cha no Kuni _react?"

"Oh, hush," my uncle hissed at my aunt, glaring at her. He wrapped a protective, lazy arm around my shoulder. "She's _my niece_."

"Y'know you'll still be working at the teahouse, ne, Ichigo-chan?" My grandfather reminded, a smile on his wrinkled face. I waved him off lazily.

"I'm so happy for you," My grandmother beamed. "That's such an honor for the Ocha family. The first kunoichi, _ever._"

_And I might be the youngest girl ever in the Ocha family to die. _

I shook the thoughts out my head. With a shaky smile, I agree to the invitation to drink tea - peppermint tea, my favorite - and have a day off from the teahouse. I ignored the haunting _jingle, clank_ sound of the hitati-ate, clinking around in my pocket. I tried to ignore it - I failed.

* * *

I jolted awake with a start. Rubbing my eyes, my memories poured back to me: drinking and eating until I was stuffed, laughter over the Ocha's family history, and sleep. I had drifted off on the floor, with a blanket spread over. Someone must've carried me up to my bed. My light was shut off and the bright sunlight poured inside my window.

I stretched and yawned. With a sigh, I realized what day it was: _sorting. _

Today, I was to be sorted into a genin team with two other _dweebs, _most likely male, and a jonin sensei. Following canon, I would disappear into the shadows; I wouldn't be seen talking to Rookie Nine, since Team Gai was the only team in my year who communicated with Rookie Nine; and that was because of Rock Lee's relation with Sasuke and Naruto, as well as Neji's short-lived antagonistic nature, but even then, they disappeared into the shadows after the Kazekage arc.

I wiped off dry drool and slipped out of bed. I got ready sluggishly and slowly, but with a loud pounding on my door from my grandma, I sped things up. I slipped on my geta sandals and tugged my short, slightly dry hair into a tidied up style.

I looked presentable. With a satisfied nod, I wandered into the kitchen. Surprisingly, no one was up. My entire family was sleeping. Scratching my chin, confused, I decided to skip breakfast and take my lunch. I walked out the house as my thoughts overtook me.

Who would be in my team?

There was Nara Tonakai, who was quiet and had bags under his eyes. He was quite tall and had his dark hair pulled into a high, tight ponytail.

Then there was Nezumi Hamu, the boy who called me a _boy,_ when I _clearly _resembled a young female girl. I was still snippy over his comment, so I decided to despise him.

Before I could think of any other candidates for my potential team, I was at school. I stared at the hitai-ate clutched in my hand.

In a half-assed thought and hesitant moment, I decided to tie my blue hitai-ate around my midriff. I not only looked like a complete piece of shit with my hitai-ate tightened around my forehead (and my neck looked thicker with the hitai-ate around my throat), I also wanted to protect my stomach. It would've been wiser to protect my forehead and throat, but since I would most likely specialize in taijutsu than ninjutsu, I can prevent enemies from pummeling me in the stomach and catching me off guard.

I nodded to myself at my logic, and entered the classroom. My eyes scanned the room. There were about thirty kids, including me, sitting in the classroom. This meant ten teams.

I rubbed my cheek in habit, and I sat down, patiently waiting for Akari-sensei to arrive. I felt my stomach churn at the thought of being sorted; I would be stuck with these teammates until I'm promoted to chuunin, or worse - I'm killed. I needed _good _teammates, teammates who took their work _seriously,_ teammates who were nice and strong and _kind._

Akari-sensei, after a while, entered. She clutched a clipboard and had two senbon securing her purple hair. With a smile, she began her obviously prepared speech about the 'ninja business' and how it's no 'game' or 'joke'.

I didn't want to hear her warnings - it'd make me want to throw up - so I tuned her out with a rhythmic tapping on my desk.

I finally heard her end her little speech, and I tucked my hands in my pocket.

"I suppose I'll assign teams now," She acknowledged. She scanned the room with warm eyes. "I'll miss you all _so much_."

She knew. She knew that once we step foot out this classroom with our new team, we were on our own. If we died, that was on us.

"Team One," She began, and I listened keenly for names.

"_**Aburame Shimi. **_

_**Sarutobi Hikari. **_

_**Metsumi Akako. **_

_**Team One." **_

Akari-sensei continued to list the teams.

"_**Rock Lee. **_

_**Tenten. **_

_**Hyuuga Neji. **_

_**Team Three." **_

I blinked at them. I snuck a glance at Neji, who's silver eyes were hardened and narrowed. I expected him to throw a tantrum right then and there but he kept calm, his arms crossed and his position unmoving.

"_**Nezumi Hamu. **_

_**Yamanaka Ibo. **_

_**Ocha Ichigo.**_

_**Team Six." **_

My eyes widened at my name. I wasn't sure whether to be furious or elated with my teammates; I had Nezumi Hamu, who mistaken me for a boy, and made fun of my androgynous appearance. Then I had Yamanaka Ibo, attractive heartthrob of the school who was sweet and sagely, mature and strong.

While Hamu belong to a clan, I was a civilian. I was the Sakura of the group - the only civilian one. My eyes hardened and I let a gasp escape my lips. I craned my neck to look for my teammates, and when I exchanged eyes with them, I flashed them a small smile - one that Hamu didn't return, and Ibo gave me a slight, curt nod.

I gulped as I turned my head back to Akari-sensei. Teammates who were strong? Half checked. Teammates who were kind?

Negative.

* * *

My sensei arrived shortly.

I was awkwardly sitting in a three-seat desk with my teammates. I tried not to make the detestment visible as I sat in the middle of the two boys; I was sitting next to Hamu, who had _not _apologized for mistaking me for a boy and I held grudges frequently. I was petty like that.

The door opened, and a lean, slightly tall man prawled in gracefully. He looked utterly _beautiful. _His pea green eyes were sharp, albeit warm, and keen. His eyes darted around until they rested on my new team. A smile quirked his lips.

"Nezumi Hamu, Yamanaka Ibo, and Ocha Ichigo. Please follow me," He instructed politely and formally. His voice was light and high. He turned around, his boots clinking against the wood.

I glanced at my teammates, who were already up and walking.

I fought the urge to yell at them - _hey, there's someone on your team, too! - _but instead, I glued my mouth shut and jogged after them in pursuit.

We arrived at a secluded spot near the Academy playground. The bright-eyed sensei sat himself down in a comfortable position. He cleared his throat, then rested his vivid eyes on us.

"Alright. I'm Happa Yasa," he introduced politely. "I'm your new Jounin instructor -" He paused, as if stringing his words together mentally, "- I'm a sensory type ninja and I use prominently taijutsu. Now, all of you - introduce yourselves."

He gestured to Ibo, who straightened up. His lips quirked into a small smile.

"I'm Yamanaka Ibo. I love my clan and I want to protect them. I enjoy buukijutsu and training. My dream is to - " He paused, his eyes darting around, "- my dream is to become a jounin and make my clan proud."

Yasa-sensei nodded as Ibo finished. He gestured to me, and I rubbed the corner of my mouth nervously.

"I'm Ocha Ichigo. I love my family and I like making tea," I began. I scratched my eyebrow, rummaging through the words I could say. I didn't really _have _a dream; I didn't quite care about the health and economy of the village. I didn't give a damn about becoming strong so I could show off - I just wanted to protect my civilian family.

However, I felt the pressure thicken and suffocate me as my teammates stared at me, waiting for my answer. Hamu even sucked his teeth and averted his attention to his nails. I didn't want to sound silly and traitorous. I didn't belong to a clan, and if I didn't say to protect the village, I'd look foolish and like a traitor. If I had to lie, then so be it. **(1)**

"I… I want to become strong so I could protect the village." I finished weakly.

"_Anyways,_" Hamu interjected snootily. "_I'm _Nezumi Hamu. I like to play with mice and rats and I also enjoy spying on others. My dream is to become the head of my clan."

I scrunched my eyebrows together. This 'Hamu' was unapologetically rude, haughty, and snooty. I narrowed my eyes as I studied Hamu. He was average - he looked like a civilian. His hair was a messy, muddy brown and he was lanky and skinny. Bandages were wrapped around his fingers, particularly his thumbs, and his eyes set him apart from the average citizens; they were a startling shade of gold.

Hamu must've sensed my gaze upon him, because he blinked his cadmium yellow eyes and turned to me. He crossed his arms promptly and stuck out his tongue, causing me to narrow my eyes and look away, embarrassed. He was rude, alright.

_**What a dick, **_I thought bitterly. I decided to tune into Yasa's speech.

"Tomorrow morning, we'll be having a test," he announced apologetically. "I know this is annoying, but it's mandatory." He smiled as he scratched his head. "If you do not pass, you'll be sent to the Academy."

I swallowed thickly, although I already knew this was required. The infamous bell test slithered into my mind, and my stomach churned with fear - _what if I'm sent back? _

"You are dismissed," He finally finished. I scrambled up from my folded position, clutching my lunch. Yasa-sensei already disappeared. I glanced at my teammates, my mouth growing dry. I wasn't going to ask them to eat with me; I was already too anxious and I felt too awkward to _demand _them to sit with me and eat.

We all walked our separate ways to finish our lunches. I was a bit grateful; I had time to gather my thoughts about the mandatory 'test'.

I decided to remain on the rooftop. I folded my legs as I took out and aligned my dishes, ignoring the odd look Hamu was throwing me as he walked off.

Most likely, the bell test was slightly common; I distinctly remembered the Third Hokage giving it to the Legendary Sannin.

However, each teams and squads had their own speciality. Team Seven relied on raw power; Team Eight were Tracking, and Team Ten was stalling their enemies and infiltration. Together, the Rookie Nine made an indestructible squad - Team Eight would track the enemies, Team Seven would beat the enemies silly, and Team Ten would infiltrate and stall.

Most likely, each team's test would be akin to their specialty. Team Seven's test was on how to take down Kakashi - raw power. Team Eight's test would most likely be similar to tracking the enemy effectively, like Kurenai - tracking. Team Ten would've been tested on how to stall Asuma - stalling and infiltrating.

I wasn't too sure about my year, though. I knew that Team Gai, or Team Three, would focus on using raw power and rely on external attacks, like taijutsu. TenTen specialized in solely bukijutsu and knew a thing or two about taijutsu. Rock Lee and Neji were excellent in taijutsu. Team Gai made the perfect taijutsu team. They would be most likely tested on how to take down Gai, like Team Seven was.

I absentmindedly raised the rice ball to my lips and chewed hungrily. I didn't know my team's specialty yet. I had a Yamanaka, who as good at interrogating and infiltrating; I had a Nezumi, who I had _no clue _on what they did. All I knew was that they were a clan, presumably small to not be acknowledged and announced in canon. Hamu was average, if anything slightly above, in taijutsu; he was average in every aspects of jutsus. Ninjutsu, genjutsu, bukijutsu. In class, he would've propped his head on his elbow and doze off and he had a bad habit of rubbing his thumbs, and -

… _why do I know so much about someone that I hate? _

With an incoherent grumble, I finished off my warm tea and sealed my bento box. I slipped my dishes into my bag and stood up, dusting myself off.

I suppose I just had to find out when the tomorrow morning.

* * *

**FOOTNOTES**

**(1) **\- This is one of the only personality characteristics that Ichigo and I share. I tend to overthink a lot, even if the situation doesn't require thinking. I overthink daily, every minute, even if it's not even that serious, and my overthinking usually deals with people - what'll people think of me if I do this? How do I do this without people thinking that I'm stupid/ugly/weird? I have social anxiety and this 'excessive over thinking' is do to my anxiety.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thank you all for the reviews! I'm continuously writing chapter after chapter so it's more convenient for me. If I have writer's block for two weeks, you guys will still be updated because I have chapters already pre written.

I've noticed a lack of brown or LGBT (or both) OCs in the Naruto community. Us fanfiction writers are lacking, and as a brown person, I find that it's important to have representation, and I believe that those in the LGBT community agree, as well. (not forgetting pansexuals, asexuals, etc.) There _**will **_be multiple brown and LGBT characters in this story, and it's not because I feel 'forced' to have one. I find it slightly annoying to be reading a fantastic story with zero diversity. I'm pretty sure not all the ninjas in Naruto are white, heterosexual, and cis.

Anyways, I've gotten various PMs from people, and although the cover is misleading, Ichigo has brown/has tan brown skin. She has an androgynous appearance, as mentioned in the story.

I think I haven't spoiled too much about the story! Thanks for reading!


	9. 9: 何が私たちに忍者を作る？(WHAT MAKES US NINJAS?)

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(Arc II: Takigakure arc)**_

**Chapter Nine: ****何が私たちに忍者を作る？****(WHAT MAKES US NINJAS?)**

* * *

"Ne, Ichigo-chan," My aunt called as I scrubbed the teacups rapidly, "How was your first day as a genin?"

"Eh?" I inquired, confused, then realized what she was asking. "Oh! It was… great. My teammates are a bit rude - they ignore me, although Yamanaka Ibo is nice and mature -"

"_Yamanaka _Ibo? That damned clan with those freakishly blue eyes and blonde hair?" My aunt asked, wiggling her fingers wildly. "They freak me out! They breed like _rabbits! _They're everywhere."

I snorted at her analogy and wiped my hands on a dish towel.

"Well, he's on my team, as well as Nezumi Hamu." I frowned slightly, thinking back to his mysteriousness of his lineage. I had zero knowledge of his clan and his clan's abilities, and it frightened me to _not know anything, _especially in this world where knowledge in power.

"Nezumi Hamu?" My aunt furrowed her eyebrows, trying to recall something. "I think Nezumi is a clan… isn't it that rat clan?"

"Rat clan?" I questioned curiously, pausing to wipe the teacups dry.

"Yeah. I'm not too sure, but when I was in Cha no Kuni - I attended civilian school and the Land of Tea is very close to Konohagakure, so we learned a bit about it - I knew only the clan names. The Nezumi clan is called the 'loser clan'. They have something to do with mice and rats or something," She speculated, rubbing her chin. "I might be wrong, though."

I nodded firmly, trying to keep in my laughter. _Rats? Mice? _And he had the nerve to make fun of my unisexual appearance, when his clan was associated with _rodents! _

Now that I thought about it, it makes sense. He had a feral appearance, and when he opened his mouth, his teeth were sharper than average, although not as sharp as the Inuzuka clan. However, his eyes were sharp and beady, and his hair was messy and animalistic. It connected.

I finished washing the dishes and wiped my hands on a towel.

"I'm done," I announced. "Tell _baba_ and _jiji_ that I'm going to the house."

I fastened the lace on my boots that were loosening and sauntered out the teahouse. It as darkening, and I needed my sleep if I wanted to wake up early.

Thinking about the test made my stomach twist. I felt sick just thinking about it - another year at the Academy. _Another year at seeing my instructor teaching kids how to kill - another year at the kunoichi classes where I was told to pleasure a man into giving me information. _

I felt _disgusted_. I untied my hitai-ate off my waist and set it down on the counter. Even _wearing _that forsaken thing made me ill.

* * *

I rubbed my eyes wearily as I stood with my 'teammates'. The sun was barely set; the sky was a cool, pale cyaneous. My body was weak and my eyelids were heavy. I was struggling to keep them open, and settled on looking through half-lidded eyes. I lazily glanced at my teammates through my eyelashes.

Ibo was (annoyingly) rubbing lotion on his arms. He looked fresh and good as new, as if he _hadn't _dragged himself out his bed. His eyes were the same bright blue, alert and wide awake.

Hamu was leaning against the pillar, letting a yawn escape his mouth; however, other than that, he looked the same: attentive and vigilant, albeit bored. .

Just then, Yasa-sensei strode to us, a smile on his face. I fought the urge to grumble at his happy attitude - need I remind them that it was _five _AM?

"Ohayo gozaimasu," he greeted. "Hamu-kun. Ichigo-chan. Ibo-kun. Today, we'll begin your test. If you fail, you'll return to the Academy. If you pass, then we'll be officially registered as a genin team. Understand?"

"Hai!" We all chorused, although my words were slurred. I rubbed my eyes, fighting to keep them open. The test would require running - and I couldn't trip on my feet. I couldn't be seen as the weak link, although Hamu evidently written me off as one.

"What will we need to do, sensei?" Ibo asked, straightened his back. He capped his water bottle and slipped it into his bag.

"It's quite simple, according to your abilities," Yasa replied. A mischievous smile quirked his lips.

He paused for theatrical effect. I felt like puking, right then and there - _what if I get sent? What if I get injured? I'm so scared, I'm so __**fucking **__scared - _

"-I want you all to find me." He finished. His smile widened, and I froze. _Find him? _

"What d'you mean?" Hamu asked, straightening up from his slouch, his eyebrows furrowed. "That's it?"

"Ne, you're making it sound so easy," Yasa exclaimed. "I'll be in the village. Find me before noon."

"Will you be under a henge, sensei?" Ibo asked.

"That's up to me," He confirmed. "In missions, when you are forced to infiltrate a village to find a certain man, there isn't a question whether or not he's under a Henge. If you fail this 'mission', you'll be sent to the Academy. Got it?"

We all nodded.

"Don't forget. Until noon," He murmured. "Good luck." His fingers formed a _**tora **_seal, and in a swirl of leaves, he was gone.

I swallowed thickly as I glanced at my teammates. Do I just talk to them? Are they doing this individually, or will we complete this mission together?

I opened my mouth to speak, but Hamu beat me to it.

"I guess we have to work together," He presumed, rubbing his head exasperatedly. "This is annoying, but whatever - Ibo. Got any ideas?"

Ibo set his bag down and scrunched his blonde eyebrows together.

"Not yet. He can be anywhere, and most likely, he won't be lounging in the market, waiting for us to ambush him. If only we had an Inuzuka or Hyuuga on our team…"

He paused, then turned to Hamu. I wrinkled my nose in distaste - were my teammates ignoring me? Was it because I'm a _girl_?

"Hey, Hamu. Aren't you a sensory nin?"

I blinked owlishly. _Sensory nin? We have a sensory nin on our team? _

To my surprise, Hamu flushed. He rubbed his head, embarrassed.

"Well, I'm still on my training. I'm a bit late on my sensory training, but my jiji's teaching me, so - I'm a bit rusty, I'm not even that good -"

"-It's fine. I'm still training, as well," Ibo comforted softly.

I straightened my shirt, annoyed.

"Well, we should start moving," I offered. "Maybe if we're out in the open, we'll have a better chance at finding Yasa-sensei?"

Hamu snorted. "Y'really think he'll be out 'n' about? I doubt it. He's a _Jounin._" He turned to Ibo. "If only I could summon my rats. I'm still learning to summon, so -"

That's when I realized something. Ibo and Hamu weren't underestimating me because I was a _girl_. It was because I was a _civilian kid. _ I wasn't born into a clan. My family made tea for a living. They owned a tea house, not a weapons shop. We didn't have a hidden technique, kekkei genkai, or any special animals.

The only civilian kids in Konoha Twelve were Rock Lee and TenTen, and TenTen was the weakest girl - scratch that, weakest _member_ \- in Konoha Twelve. I wouldn't be inferior because of my gender. I'm automatically inferior because of my lineage, and it wasn't something I could change. My mother was a civilian and my father disappeared off the face of the Earth - I had no idea who he was, what he was, or where he was. I didn't have a cool jutsu that was passed down. I didn't have bad ass hidden techniques that were taught to kids; I had _tea_ recipes. This sudden realization dwindled my spirits. It made me want to shrink down into a ball. I had nothing special about me. I had no clan. I was average in every jutsu, and I was complete shit at genjutsu. I couldn't specialize in anything. I didn't have high chakra reserves, I didn't have the knowledge to make or learn a new instant-killing, bad ass ninjutsu. I didn't even have the type of body to specialize in solely ninjutsu. I was horribly average.

I would turn out like Hinata - the weakest link in my team - or like TenTen, the one who needed help every step along the way, overshadowed by her male counterparts.

I swallowed down a lump. I decided to stop thinking about my bad chances - and how I would most likely be killed in my third mission - and chose to listen to Ibo and Hamu's strategies. I didn't want to rely on my other teammates, especially if I was a lazy feminist in my past life and would always yell at Sakura, Ino, and Hinata when watching Naruto; but there was nothing to be done. _I wasn't special enough._

"Oi - are you listening?" Hamu asked, clapping in my face. I blinked out of my thoughts and reverie, and turned my gaze on him, confused.

"Eh?"

"We have a plan," Ibo answered. "We're going to split up."

I bit my lip, dissatisfied with their plan.

"I don't-" I struggled to find the words, "I don't really agree with that plan. I-In an infiltration mission-"

"-we'd need to split up, anyways," Ibo finished for me. "We would split up. We'd all be under the Henge."

"How d'you know Yasa-sensei isn't watching us right now?" I countered.

Hamu sniggered. "I said I'm rusty in my sensory training. I didn't say I was a complete imbecile. I would've sensed his chakra by now."

I wrung my wrists.

"O-Okay," I finally decided. "I agree. Where will we split up?"

"My clan is united with the Nara clan," Ibo replied. "We borrow many scrolls from them, and in those scrolls, there are information on every Jounin in the village."

"Ibo has a knack for reading scrolls, and read some of the scrolls on the jounin in the village," Hamu supplied. "Ibo hasn't read all of it, but there was some information on Happa Yasa - our sensei. Turns out, Yasa enjoys drinking tea and eating sushi. He also likes to volunteer at the pet shelter - most likely the dog shelter that the Inuzuka clan owns - on his spare time."

"So you think he may be any of those places?" I inquired, scratching my eyebrows, "you think we should be under a henge?"

"_Yes_," Hamu said exasperatedly. "You stated the obvious."

I wrinkled my nose at him.

"So, who's going where? I think I should go to my tea house. That's the most logical, my grandparents know me -"

"-I think that's essentially why you shouldn't go," Ibo interjected. "We'll explain later. I'll go as your aunt -" _how did he know what my aunt looks like? _"-and Hamu will go as the Inuzuka worker."

"And me?" I inquired.

Ibo paused.

"You'll go as a random civilian," He decided. He must've thought that was a relief to me, because he gave me a nice, sweet smile and returned his attention to Hamu. He must've believed that I wouldn't want to do all the work; that I wouldn't want to have to talk to Yasa-sensei.

I decided not to voice my concerns, and instead, zipped my lips and listened to the two friends strategize.

* * *

I wasn't sure how I - how _we _\- ended up like this. But somehow, I was nursing a sprained wrist, panting heavily, letting the wind bite my teeth. Hamu was dangling from a tree branch, his Henge slipping off like paint fading from skin, his features distorting, shrieking a slew of slurs and swears at Yasa. Ibo was rubbing his lower spine, his head plunged into the dewy grass.

"How - why -?" Hamu moaned in agony and fury. "We - we did _everything _right -"

I was convinced by his words. Everything was going smoothly. I wasn't sure who messed up, or when. Perhaps when I accidentally-on-purpose bumped into Yasa-sensei; I was so smug and anxious that I caught him first that I followed him negligently. Yasa had apparently caught on before I even bumped into him, and lead me on.

"This is all _your _fault," Hamu spat as he dangled his legs from the height. Yasa ignored his awkward position, and instead, finished off his tea.

"Now, now," He finally addressed us, a smile on his face, "don't point fingers. I'm going to give you an A plus for effort and strategizing. Perhaps when you grow, you'll learn to hone your sneaky side."

He wiped his wet lips and stood up, adjusting his hitai-ate. My stomach dropped at the dramatic silence. Was he failing us? If he did, I understood. I'd have the bear the pressurized hate on my back, emitting from Ibo and Hamu - and especially Hamu - and I'd be guilty, afraid, and disgusted with myself. I wasn't ready to go through another sickly-sugary Kunoichi classes. I waited for his verdict with bated breath.

"You pass," He finally decided. He dropped his gaze to his gloves, a smile on his face.

"_**What**_?" Hamu shrilled, and he dropped painfully from his heightened state. He barely spared a groan as he grinned and wiggled in success. "We passed? Fuck yes!"

I choked on my saliva as I heard his words. We _passed? Even though Hamu and Ibo did most of the strategizing? And I caused us to nearly fail, if it had been a mission? _

I was slightly incredulous, but I soaked up his words. I couldn't wait to tell my family the good news. I was, by law, a full-fledged shinobi. I could earn money. I could purchase various types of tea leaves and tea cups for my**self. **To say I was excited was an understatement, although I reminded myself to expand my interests beyond tea.

"Get out of my sight," Yasa said, a gentle smile on his face, his words dipped with euphoria.

I scrambled up to my feet. I spared my teammates one last glance. Although they excluded me due to my lineage, I felt my heart warming up to them. Hamu scowled at me, but reluctantly returned my wave. Ibo gave me a small, exuberant smile. I gave them a jaunty wave, shouldered my backpack, and whirled around, racing to return home.

Waves of nostalgia splashed on me, and my mind fluttered back to my bleary memories of me binge watching Naruto - in my past life. I distinctly remembered when Naruto was tied to the log as he was surrounded, and being left by, his teammates. My heart swelled at the thought, and I quickened my pace as the recurring questioned in Naruto entered my mind-

I entered my house, slipped off my shoes, and yelled out a jolly greeting.

**\- **_**What makes us ninjas? **_

* * *

**Author's Note: **I apologize if this chapter's a bit too rushed and crappy. I'm falling out the obsession of Naruto, one being that I absolutely hate Studio Pierrot and I'm basically Anti-Hinata, and the other being that it's over, and all I can do is rewatch the Anime and reread the manga. Truth be told, however, I felt a wave of nostalgia hit me when I was finishing this chapter, and decided to write it down, in mask of Ichigo's feelings. I feel these daily nostalgic feelings and I just want to stop what I'm doing and watch Naruto again. It makes me sad. :(


	10. 数分隊 (ODD SQUAD)

**NOTE:**I'm replying to reviews at the end of this chapter! I'll be replying to **Wyrvel**, (ch 8 comment)** Vindicated Irony** (chapter 8 comment), **IciclefangAJ** (chapter 9 review) and **Tobee** (chapter 2, 6, and 7 review. ALSO, it's a very long explanation/review to his review)

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(Arc II: Missions arc)**_

**Chapter Ten: ****数分隊 ****(ODD SQUAD) **

* * *

My team was a mess.

Compared to the other teams - and I later found out that four teams made the cut - we were the 'Freak Team', as Hamu eloquently put it. The teams that had made the cut were Team One, comprised of Aburame Shimi, Sarutobi Hikari (a _**very **_pretty, albeit stoic, young girl with tan skin), and Metusmi Akako, who was a lanky boy with long arms and cherry-top hair.

Team Three, also known as Team Gai, had obviously made the cut. Team Five, consisting of Akimichi Sutekina, who was a pretty, nice, and chubby girl, Hayashi Aiko, a very mean girl who glares at everyone with beady, hazel eyes, and Minami Emi, a girl who fades in the background, who was extremely good in chakra theory and ninjutsu. (Everyone was shocked that Team Five was an all-girl squad, including their senseis, Nara Kaori. Everyone was even more shocked that they passed the test, especially since two out of three of them were civilians.)

We were the 'Freak Team', simply because of our lineage and status. Ibo, although he was strong, smart, and handsome, wasn't exactly popular with his clan, and was overshadowed by Ino, (who he proudly informed us was entering the Academy and was already climbing to the top of charts) another prodigy-like Yamanaka named Shiro, (who I've had the pleasure of meeting. He was a scowling, brooding, stoic dickhead and was fifteen.) and many other Yamanakas.

Hamu was a part of the Nezumi clan. The Nezumi clan weren't exactly noble. They were dirty, they summoned rats (and looked like them, as well), and they didn't have any prestige, hidden techniques, kekkei genkai, or doujutsus to save them like the Hyuugas, Naras, or Aburame. They were even dirt compared to the Inuzukas; least the latter clan used their animals in combat. The Nezumis used their animals to track and infiltrate.

I was a plain civilian, and my lineage was laughable. Have you ever heard of a girl deciding to become a kunoichi, and she was born to a tea-obsessed civilian family who ran a slightly successful tea house?

My sensei wasn't even as renowned as Gai or Kakashi. He was a twenty-something year old man who blushed, stammered, and giggled behind his bandaged hand frequently. He was single, he never allowed his chlorochrous green eyes linger on any woman's body. He was shy and preferred to drink tea alone and didn't seek out to find a girl. He wasn't close to Kurenai, Asuma, or Kakashi, and was acquaintances with Gai.

"As a taijutsu master, Gai-senpai is my inspiration," He supplied us when we had asked him.

While I wished I had stronger, cooler, and slightly more attractive (Hamu wasn't exactly easy on the eyes) teammates, I've grown to be fond with them.

Around the time I was eased into the team dynamics, Team Yasa was called in for a mission. It wasn't a particularly hard mission - we were genin, after all - but it changed my genin squad forever.

* * *

Hamu rubbed his thumbs subconsciously as he snuck a peek at the charge we were escorting. I narrowed my eyes and followed his gaze.

We were assigned a simple, C-rank mission: escort Nakamura Aki, the son of the leader of the Nakamura Corporations inc., who supplies the whole nations with scrolls. (We were assigned simply due to the fact that the Chuunins in our village were suddenly absent, although I had a notion; also because we completed quite a few D-rank missions, over thirteen, and the Hokage decided to grant us a C-rank mission.) It was a low-ranked mission because Nakamura-san, Aki's father, was very cheap, despite being successful; also, Nakamura-san wouldn't be targeted since his job position didn't allow him to create enemies who were angry enough to kill him.

Aki was a skinny, pretty boy - this wasn't even meant as an insult. He had lush, rosy lips and an olive-skinned complexion. His eyes were large and a vivid sapphire blue with long, thick eyelashes. He was tall and lanky and his hands were soft - it was evident that he's never trained before and he wasn't a shinobi.

My nerves were eased.

Aki decided to break the tense silence.

"So, erm - is this 'yer first mission?" He inquired politely, smoothing his yukata.

"No," Ibo answered smoothy. "We've been on plenty of missions before. However, this _is _our first C-rank."

Aki's expression soured, but he said nothing. Instead, he gave us a pasty, pallid smile and stared down at his shoes.

I allowed my thoughts to wander. My missions consisted of picking weeds and housekeeping - it was simple and I liked it that way. I didn't have to kill or harm anyone; I didn't have to be on edge or on the look out for any bloodlust enemies, ready to impale me with a kunai.

However, Ibo and Hamu were just the opposite. They were restless for a higher ranked mission. It amazed - and frightened me - how excited they were to kill someone. Their fingers itched to their cold kunai. They _wanted _to impale someone's spleen and damaged their psyche and dehumanize themselves to the point where they were bloodlusting, unapologetically killing _savages - barbarians - _who pleased themselves by killing.

I swallowed thickly at the thought and refused to look at my male counterparts. I wanted to throw up. I loved them - I really did, they were great 'mates - but the way they loved killing frightened me.

"We're almost there," Yasa announced happily. "We'll be in Sumigakure **(1) ** shortly. How about we stay in an inn in the meantime?"

"Hai," We chorused cheerily. I was glad to rest, shower, and sleep. We were walking an awfully long time and my ankles were burning and growing heavier. My back was also cramped.

In the distance, a small inn came into view.

"We'll rest here for a few hours," Yasa ordered.

"Will we get our separate rooms?" Ibo asked innocently as he tousled his own hair.

"It depends," Yasa suggested mischievously, and I widened my eyes.

_Eh? _

* * *

We arrived safely to our inn in good timing. The sun was setting and it was darkening. Seeing as how we don't have a Byakugan user on our team, it would've been hard to navigate, especially through the thick grass and tall trees.

I shifted my weight as Yasa got our rooms. Without preamble, I snatched the key from his hand and bolted off, shoving my key into the keyhole and unlocking my room. I slipped off my bag off my shoulder and stripped down out my clothes, desperate to remove the gunk and mud off my clothes. I previously removed it in the nearby stream but it just caused my clothes to get heavier.

I took a long, cold shower - because really, in the Hi no Kuni, it was sweltering hot like Cuba in the summer - and dried my burnt sienna hair. I put my dirty clothes away and dressed into a dry spare.

I took out my scrolls decided to write about all I knew in Naruto. My new memories were replacing my old ones, and I needed to remember if I wanted to survive as a kunoichi. I was a bit cautious since I was on my C mission. And seeing how I would be a mediocre kunoichi, I could use my private knowledge to at least help me dodge any problems that would be soon barrelling fast towards Konoha. The soonest one would most likely be Suna's coup and Suna and Oto's alliance - Konoha Crush, where the Sandaime dies. I already told myself I wouldn't interfere or share my knowledge. It would raise questions and I didn't want to put myself in the spotlight.

With a flick of my wrist, I started writing. I continuously transitioned from Japanese to English. Not because I wanted my scrolls to be cryptic, but my memory of English was slipping from my mind and I wanted to keep a hold of it forever - it was the only souvenir of my past life. That and my knowledge of Naruto.

My knowledge was limited, however; I stopped watching Naruto a little bit past the Kazekage Arc, so I didn't know _everything. _All I knew was that there's a new Akatsuki character, who's a little bit mysterious, named Tobi. He has two voices (from the Three Tails' filler arc) and I don't have all the information on him.

I scratched my eyebrow dejectedly and began writing.

* * *

I woke up with a knock on the door. With a start, I jolted awake. Dozens of scrolls rolled off my abdomen and face and I realized I dozed off. I had finished quite a few scrolls, all from the Uchiha information, Orochimaru, Naruto, Nine-Tail Fox, and the Bijuu. I also input a few theories of my own in there about the Uchihas, Hyuugas, and Naruto's lineage, as well as Sakura. I squawked out an, "_I'm indecent, hold the fuck up"_, and I read off one of my theories.

_**Haruno **_

_As Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura are meant to mirror and parallel the Legendary Sannin (see: Tsunade Senju, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya), Sakura may parallel Tsunade, who's a hybrid of Senju and Uzumaki - with this, Sakura may be apart of a secret bloodline. _

_Haruno may be a clan, perhaps from another country, who migrated to Hi no Kuni and Konohagakure. Sakura may be the relative of a mildly important canon character, like a Sarutobi child or -_

The knocking grew louder, and I quickly ceased my musings and rolled my scrolls up. Stuffing them under the bed, I skipped showering and threw on my now-clean clothes.

I was managing to clip my boots up when the door was roughly opened.

"You liar! You weren't indecent, you were _reading!_" I heard a shrill voice and an accusing finger. I whirled around and saw Hamu standing in my room, his finger pointing at me as he snarled, baring his pointed teeth.

I slipped off my boot and threw it at him. He dodged it easily and I lunged at him.

"You pig!" I squawked. "What if I wasn't decent yet? I'm telling Yasa-sensei!" I threatened shrilly as I batted him out the room. He was out in a millisecond, his face flushed and red.

I slipped on my boots quickly, buttoned up my shirt, and headed out the door quickly. I blinked out the sleep clinging to my eyelids and licked the corner of my lips as I habitually scratched my eyebrow as I reunited with our client and my teammates.

"Ohayo goziamasu," I greeted as I fixated my gaze on my dark open toe boots.

"Sumigakure isn't too far away," Yasa told us. He set down a few ryo, flashed a soft smile at the receptionist and lead us out the small, ramshackled inn and shouldered his bag.

"Sensei?" I quipped, curiosity lacing my words as I formulated my question, scrunching my eyebrows as I began, "isn't Sumigakure a dominantly civilian Village?"

"Hai," Yasa answered. He capped his bottle. A smile quirked his rosy lips. "Sumigakure is predominantly a civilian village; there are little to no shinobi in there, and if there are, they are retired or injured shinobi - they cannot continue their duty, and they settle in Sumigakure; it's a pretty industrial village for a village with ninjas. They have companies and they export ink to neighboring villages -"

"-Ink?" Ibo inquired as he scratched his knee. "Is ink that industrious?"

"You wouldn't think so, seeing how Sumigakure is a small village and it neighbors Sugigakure, another minor village, and Dōgakure, who also export cedar wood and copper. Anyways, Sumigakure exports ink - ink is very important, not only to paint but to write scrolls, write formal invites, letters (to the daimyō or kages, perhaps) and mission reports. In the Elemental Nations, _**sumi-e **_is very popular and requires a lot of ink." Yasa finished his explanation with a rub to his chin and gave us a smile.

"Well, I may have bore you, but at least we've passed time." He pointed out. He turned to our charge. "Aki-san, are you thirsty?"

"I'm fine," He assured Yasa hesitantly. His eyes darted around the forest.

_Something's about to happen, _I realized darkly. I wasn't sure what made me realize it; perhaps it was the way Yasa bristled, just slightly - his relaxed, cheerful posture faded rapidly and was instead replace with a taut posture, masqueraded by a cold, saccharine 'cheerful' stance - or the way Ibo's eyes were blinking and his lips were pushed into a thin line.

I think the biggest dead giveaway was the way Hamu excitedly rubbed his thumbs, licking his lips and baring his sharpened teeth, his beady golden eyes narrowing in a bloodthirsty excitement. His shoulders rolled and his flaxen eyes darting around the area.

_What the __**fuck **__is going on? There aren't any shinobi around here - it's a civilian-dominant village. Why would there be shinobi, especially after our client? _

_**This is just like Naruto's Waves' mission, **_I thought darkly. Was my pure existence in this dimension, in this _world_, causing a rip in time? Was I given _his _mission? Was me being born causing things to change around here?

My heart thundered loudly and my fingers trembled.

_Move, dammit, _I cursed at myself. I had to move - something, no _someone,_ was coming, and they were coming _**now**_, and I needed to stop fucking trembling and I had to move, _**Ichigojustmoveonefingerjustmovejustfuckingmove -**_

That's when the metal glinted in the shaded sun, soaring through the air and piercing the wind - and that's when the small, cold and blood-stained shuriken impaled my shoulder, and my world went foggy, bleary, and dizzy.

And I felt pain.

* * *

**FOOTNOTES: **

**\- **Sumigakure is by my imagination. I simply made it up; Sumi means 'ink' (as in calligraphy) in Japanese. It's been explained already, but to sum it up: it's a civilian populated village where very few shinobi live. They produce ink, which is actually pretty damn valuable if you think about it in the feudal lord era.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Yes, yes, the mandatory Author's Note. This chapter took me a pretty long time to read, because if you didn't know, I'm a more think-and-write-as-you-go author, where I don't really plan each chapter. Whatever comes to mind, comes to mind. However, I _have _planned quite a few information. I've planned the relationships, the drama, the battles, and I've also already written the plot for each OC (Hamu, Ibo, the Ochas, Yasa, etc.) lineage, abilities, weaknesses, personality and mental weaknesses, and etc.

I'm so glad that I've already written chapters in advance, so if I have Writer's Block for a few weeks, you guys can still be updated w/ my chapters! :))

Thank you all for the lovely and constructive reviews, follows, and favorites! It motivates me to continue all writing! xx

* * *

**REPLIES: **

iciclefangAJ said: I'm happy that Ichigo isn't OP, but isn't too weak. She's a little on the weak side, but at least sh can protect herself

**I'm going to take this as a compliment, haha! Ichigo will slowly but surely improve. It won't be rapid. It'll be a normal pace. In fact, I'm considering writing a sequel after to write a post time skip (Regular Naruto Time Skip) to show her improvement! xx **

Vindicated Irony: _This story is cute and interesting - so I'll be keeping an eye on it! And you're right, there is a lack of those types or characters in the fandom, so good on you for planning to involve them in your story. I've always been a bit miffed/curious as to why Kishi never had more diverse skin colors within the villages - except for Kumo. _

_Though, Sakura isn't a civilian child. Both of her parents were/are actually shinobi._

**Oops! Thanks for informing me. I actually thought Sakura was a civilian child. I'd think the story (manga) would've been better if she were civilian; so she worked extremely hard from a civilian family. **

**Thanks for your comments! xx **

Wyrvel: **I always get teary eyed at your reviews :') it's such an honor to hear it from you. I love your fanfic, 'Death and Sake'! and lol your comment. I agree. Everyone, generally, when reading a story automatically assumes that the protagonist, or actually _any _characters are cis, white, and heterosexual. Lmao! I'm trying to put it out there that my cast of characters are diverse, varying from different skin complexions, genders (and identifying genders) and sexuality. _Thanks again! xx _**

_TOBEE said: "Ichigo Kurosaki?" , "_

Huh? That makes no sense because you need to have a LOT of extra spiritual energy to dispel or make genjutsu (something Baka Naruto didn't have which made him fail at dispel) but Ichigo has...  
At least you didn't take away her ability to mold ninjutsu just bc she has extra spiritual chakra. So yay! Action and adventure still possible!" and _"Lots about protection, just like that guy from bleach!" _

**No, Ichigo is NOT based off of Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach. Ichigo means 'strawberry' in Japanese, and that is a huge indicator of her lineage! Also, I'm pretty sure EVERY shinobi has a balanced chakra : spiritual AND physical. Naruto just had a LOT of excess chakra from the Kyuubi/Nine Tails which made it EXTREMELY hard to control. He had terrible chakra control and couldn't mold it properly, most likely due to excess physical chakra. **

**I made it the totally opposite for Ichigo. Because she's a reincarnated soul, and spiritual chakra is related to the mind and spirit/soul, (and her soul/spirit has been twice else where - - since she's reincarnated) she has extra spiritual chakra. I'm assuming for genjutsus to be dispelled and to perform them, (I'm aware its spiritual chakra / yin chakra) you'd need a perfect balance of spiritual and physical, something Ichigo doesn't have. This is why she cannot be a medical nin or a medic - because you need a balance + perfect control of chakra) or dispel or perform genjutsus. I also made this so she can have flaws, so if she ever come across a strong genjutsu user (or even mediocre genjutsu user, really) like Itachi, Sasuke, Kurenai, Kakashi, etc., she'll be completely helpless unless she has outside help to pump chakra into her cerebral nervous system. **

**I hope that cleared that up! xx **


	11. 痛み (PAIN)

_**WARNING: slightly dark chapter. it's not a happy, bright story. it's slightly gory (depending on your definition of gory) and it's slightly graphic. be warned!**_

* * *

_**Word count: 3,919**_

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(Arc II: Missions arc)**_

**Chapter Eleven: ****痛み ****(PAIN)**

* * *

I heard voices. I heard a large _**poof! **_, a strangled cry, and a gruff, "_**get back, Aki-san!" **_

But all the pain was blocking my senses. I couldn't see, I couldn't smell, I couldn't talk. I couldn't _move. _The pain was like an obstacle in my brain.

But I eventually moved my head, twitching it to glance down at my body, and when I saw it, I let out a bloodcurdling, shrill screech that punctured the air. A shuriken was lodged into my infraspinatus **(1)**. Blood leaked through my dark shirt, trickling down hotly.

"Shut the _fuck _up, Ichigo," I heard a gruff voice - Hamu, I presume? - and I heard the sound of metal.

"Get up, dumb ass - ya' a kunoichi, aren't ya?"

I didn't retort to Hamu as I struggled rising. I touched my right arm, feeling the blood, and gazed at my stained fingers. My bottom lip trembled and my knee buckled as my body threatened to collapse again; my blood was hot, thick, and so red it looked black. I stared at in horror; this was _**real. **__THiswasfUCKINGrealandIcaN'tBreathe isTheAirgettingHARSHERorisitjuSTme? _

"Protect Aki-san, ya dumb ass!" Hamu yelled at me fuzzily as he dodged a throwing kunai.

_**wHATThefuckwasgoingonWhyAmIinthis GoDFUCKINghelp me **_

My mind was an incoherent mess and I struggled to snatch the reins from my conscious; I felt like throwing up as another shuriken whizzed past me dangerously, snipping my ear and a few strands of brown hair along the way. It lodged in the tree, and that's when my senses kicked in and my knees buckled. I ducked and moved, past Aki, who was hiding behind a tree, and into a safe spot in the bushes.

"Fucking Ichigo!" Hamu screeched. "Protect our client, would 'ya?"

"What the _**fuck **_is going on?" I inquired, ignoring his command.

My blue eyes darted around the forest to find Yasa, Ibo, **anyone, **to assure myself that I wasn't alone with a mousy boy and a weak civilian.

"Ninjas attacking," Hamu answered shortly as I heard another _**clink! **_"Not sure why. Yasa's attackin' the big boys, and Ibo's setting up a few bunshins to distract the others."

"D-Did…" I struggled to form my words as my bottom lip began shaking. I licked my dry lips and tried to breathe with my stomach twisting and knotting. "D-Did you see… d'ya see their hitai-ate?"

"Nah, happened too fast - however, I'm summonin' my rats -"

I quickly tuned him out, not carrying for his strategic plans. Ibo's somewhere - I need to protect Aki - I need to protect my_self_, but I'm too gotdamn scared. I'm shaking uncontrollably and these ninjas were Chuunin at best from an unknown village.

"I'm wounded," I interrupted Hamu as my breaths became restricted.

Hamu paused. I tried controlling my breaths. I felt more blood leak out.

"How bad?" He asked finally. The clinking of metal stopped and I blinked blearily.

"In my infraspinatus - it's not life threatening, I may ble-"

"Buck up," Hamu interjected gruffly.

I blinked, wishing I could see his face. With a quick decision, I slipped out my hiding space shakily, clutching my shoulder and stared at him.

"What?" I asked.

"_Buck up_," He repeated nastily. "If ya wanna be a kunoichi, then _buck up. _A lil' blood won't hit ya. Now, go protect Aki-san and show off your shitty taijutsu skills."

With that, he turned around, unwrapped his bandaged thumbs, and bit them. I stared at his back in vexation and marvel, a lump growing in my throat. I swallowed thickly as tears poured out my cobalt eyes, but I whirled around.

"_**Kuchiyose no Jutsu," **_I heard a small, frustrated voice. "Fuck - please work -"

"Aki-san," I whispered, squinting my eyes as I hunted for our client, my heart thundering in my chest, "Aki-san, where -"

"m'here," I heard a small, scared voice. I whipped around to find a tree trunk impaled with shuriken and kunai. I blinked panickedly and reached out, my bloody fingers coming in contact with Aki's arm.

"Don't - touch me -" Aki wheezed as he slapped my fingers away. My heart melted as I realized: like me, Aki was a civilian, and he was probably even more _frightened _than I was. At least I knew what to expect - I watched the show and read the manga (although admittedly the manga was much less gory than reality) while he most likely had never even seen a shinobi. He probably witnessed me getting hit by a shuriken.

"Aki-san, it's me - Ichigo, 'member?" I asked as I found him cowering behind the large tree trunk. "Y'okay? Can you walk? Did you get hit?"

"No," He answered shakily. "B-But you did -"

"I'm fine," I lied as I moisturized my lips with my saliva, "I'm gonna fix it up and protect you."

I slipped my bag off my one shoulder and zipped it up. I rummaged through it, ignoring the bamboo cup of water and felt my fingers touch a gauze and some ointment. With a sigh of relief, I set my kunai down and slipped the gauze between my teeth as I opened the ointment with one hand. Stealing glances at Aki to make sure he was decently fine, I smeared my ointment on my shoulder tendon wound.

"Fuck," I swore sharply as the cool minty, thick liquid of the ointment connected with my wound. It burnt like a bitch.

"Y'okay?" Aki asked as he bent his knees.

"I'm fine," I lied once more as I capped my ointment, and wrapped the bandaged gauze around my shoulder. I secured it with a few bandages. It was incredibly messy and unprofessionally appealing, but it would do and it was effective.

I put everything back into my bag, zipped it up, and slipped it onto my left, uninjured shoulder.

"Alright," I whispered hotly, "I'm ready - I'll defend you with my life, Aki-san -"

"Why?" Aki fumed, his voice pitched and shaky. He struggled to breathe as my ponytail slapped his lips as I whipped around to face him. His nostrils flared and he looked like an utter mess. "Why are you doing this - ? Why are you so nonchalant about your death? _Why_?"

_**Why…? **_

I pondered on his question. _Why _was I so ready to die just to save this boy who was admittedly insignificant? I, the girl who is scared of death that just the thought of fading away from the world chilled me to the bone?

_I'm not ready to die, _I realized shakily. I touched my quivering jaw, tracing it with my bloody fingertips as I swallowed thickly. _I'm not ready to die. I don't want to die. But what am I more afraid of - death or the impending punishment and humiliation I will face back home from Konohagakure, other Konoha nin and the Hokage for failing a mission simply because I was afraid to die? _

Instead of answering, I ignored Aki and stared ahead at the trees. The sun was escaping from the clouds' shields and the rays splashed on my skin, heat thawing the coolness.

"Aki-san," I quavered, licking my lips again, "why - why did these men attack us? Do you have something to tell us?"

There was a pause. I waited with bated breath for Aki to answer, and after a long minute, he finally did.

"I… I… a few years ago… My father did some business with a few businessmen," He began softly. I couldn't feel his breath against my neck anymore, and I straightened, my hands clenching on my kunai for any enemy shinobi to ambush us.

"Everything was going great; they agreed to exclusively use his ink for a few years - a contract - in their village if my father pays the yearly bill. Something happened, I'm not sure what _did_, and my father lied to the businessmen - he said he'll pay the combined bill of two years if they leave him alone. He (my father) never did. They turned hostile and…" Aki faltered.

"What'd they do?" I pressed impatiently.

"They threatened him," Aki finished quaveringly. I blinked, shocked - why didn't Nakamura-san include this in his report and request for a mission? - and my grip on my kunai tightened. Where the fuck was Ibo, Yasa, and Hamu?

"What'd they say?"

"I'm not sure," Aki admitted. "I eavesdropped all of this from my parents - my mother was pissed when my dad told her. They don't know I know, so you're not supposed to know."

"Y'think the businessmen hired some shinobi?" I inquired. _This is extremely similar to the Land of Waves mission, _I thought suspiciously.

"Yeah, they might be low enough to do that," Aki murmured, his voice in my ear. My body was pressed into his as I shielded him from any danger, my stomach churning and twisting.

"They'd abduct you and hold you for ransom - your dad would pay the two year debt and they'd release you," I concluded, piecing the strategy together. It was a solid strategy. I'd admit it'd work, and if the businessmen concluded that they'd send us, three Genin, to escort an insignificant boy, we wouldn't be skilled enough or prepared to take on a few Chuunin from another village.

I wiped my mouth as I felt my shoulder tendon become warm again with blood. I needed to rewrap my gauzes. Before I could fix my shoulder again, I heard a small noise and my eyes widened.

"Get back," I hissed at Aki as I pressed my body closer to him, feeling his sweat and his Adam's Apple bob.

The bushes shook and trembled and I bit my lips hard to stop myself from shrieking when a figure emerged. Without preamble, I looped the kunai around my finger and flung it at the figure.

Of course, with my poor aim, I missed - it didn't help that they dodged - and a laugh emitted from the back of their throats.

The person came into light and I felt my body tighten up with fear.

Her hair was a thick, long flow of a cafe au lait brown. Her eyes were azure slits, narrowing at me. Long, black slashes were underneath her eyes as she swung her - _my _\- kunai around her finger, a whistle emitting from her lips. Her houmongi was a midnight black. Bandages substituted as socks and her feet adorned geta sandals. Her solemn face faded away and was replaced by a scowl.

"Ah," She addressed. "Yer protectin' 'im?" Her accent was thick and unidentifiable. She slipped my kunai into her bag and she blew her bang out her face. "I'm sorry I must do this - but 'at boy must be mine."

I slipped my fingers into my holster bag wrapped around my thigh to take out my small shuriken.

"G-gomen, nin-san," I opposed. "But I cannot let you do that."

"Yer scared," She noted flatly, and I widened my eyes at her astounding perception. ''is yer first C-rank mission? Or yer firs' confrontation wi' a ninja?"

She stepped closer and I pressed Aki closer into the tree branch. A strangled cry was made at the back of the throat, but we both ignored it. My heart was beating extremely fast. I felt as if I could suffer a heart attack. I made the mistake of clutching my left breast, wheezing.

"Poor baby," She sympathized. She stepped closer.

_**No. No not here - fucking Ichigo step your shit up, stop getting a panic attack in the middle of the battle, someone could fucking DIE because of your horrible mental state, just fuckingbuckup stop acting like a weakling - **_

_(but you are a weakling…) _

_**I can dothis I candothis this is it - do I fight her with taijutsu? OHGODidon'tknowanyninjutsus (**__I'mgonnadie__**) - no I'm not my taijutsu has been improving and my speed has been rapidly improving, Yasa-sensei said so - **_

_(you know you're going to die…) _

"Ichigo-chan," Aki whispered in my ear, his hot breath curling around my ear. I felt my heart pounding so fast - why is the air getting tighter? I'm in a forest - and I felt like throwing up, but with shaky fingers, I took out a pair of shuriken and threw it at the mysterious shinobi.

With speed that astounded even me, my fingers melded together like paint as I performed the necessary seals - that familiar cold feeling - and another copy of me appeared next to me. My carbon copy stayed with Aki as I started moving.

**-fuckingdoThiS IcaNdothIS**

I saw the brunette sigh and I balled my fists as my leg connected with her arm. She swatted me away like a fly and my knees buckled as I twisted from my impending fall. I swallowed thickly as adrenaline pumped into me, my chakra buzzing around excitedly as I charged at her once more, my last kunai clutched into my hand.

_Do I punch her throat or stomach? Her stomach can stop her temporarily and I could use that moment to stab her - or I can punch her throat, have her stop altogether, but it's risky - I may miss. Or I could swipe her feet, effective and easy - _

Without a second thought, my leg jutted out to meet hers. With terrifyingly swiftness, the woman jumped up.

_Not yet, _I decided stubbornly as I stuck the kunai into my mouth, slammed my hands down, and thrust out my leg once more to meet her stomach. Saliva extended on my kunai as I spat it out into my hand and attempted to catch her leg.

_**CRUNCH**_

The whole forest was silent as blood was released into the air, splashing on my skin.

* * *

When I died on my Finals' Day, I had been on my phone; my eyes were glued onto my phone, my eyes heavy but alert as I was texting my roommate curses and threats. I was pissed that she didn't wake me up and I was too busy texting away that I hadn't looked up.

Perhaps if I had taken a deep breath, slipped my phone into my hoodie pocket, and hurried up faster, I wouldn't have been hit by the rushing campus car.

Maybe if I looked up, I wouldn't have been in this mess.

* * *

Blood splashed on my skin and I felt my knees buckle. I collapsed to the floor, wheezing heavily and struggling to control my breath.

"Korosu Saisho," She piped up, startling me. A calloused hand squeezed my shoulder and a strangled cry slipped from my throat.

"I'm Korosu Saisho. I'm from Yugakure - born 'n' raised. M'mother was killed in front of me at a young age. I s'ppose this is why I have such a sadistic nature. M'first kill was a thirteen year old boy who called me pretty. I was drunk and pissed because I found out m'boyfriend cheated on me. I killed the young boy - I snapped 'is neck, he was skinny and had frail bones. He trusted me a lot and when I promised him a kiss I just did it - _**bang. **_

"M'second and third kill was m'boyfriend and the bitch he cheated on me with. I killed them by stabbing them with a kunai. I was a kunoichi - no, I was a _shinobi _by then. I left the village soon after, and they didn't give a fuck."

I found the strength to choke out the words - "why are you telling me this?"

She gave me a smile, exposing her teeth.

"I like to quench my victims' curiosity before they die," she replied nastily.

She took out the kunai impaled in my left supraspinatus. I bared my lips as I let out a whimper, pain blocking my senses. I couldn't see - where the fuck were my teammates? - I couldn't speak or hear -

_**i'mgonnadie. i'm gonna die i'm gonnadie im gona die im gonna die im gonna diE i'M GONNA DIE IM GONNA DIE IM GOING TO DIE **_

I was alone. My teammates were fighting their own battles. I would die here, Aki would be taken as ransom - he's a poor civilian caught up in all this drama due to his father's shitty decisions and conning - and my teammates would either pursue Saisho and her potentially-still-alive 'mates and they'd either die or report the mission as a failure and endure their lives as failures -

I had to get up. I had to do something, because my bunshin had been long gone dispelled, Aki was paralyzed by fear, and Saisho, for some idiotic reason, was deciding to discard my body and was moving towards Aki. I decided to take that chance to do _something_ and fast.

"P-p-please," Aki spluttered, waving his hands in front of him. "I-I'm innocent - Please - pl_e__**ASe!**_" His screech chilled my bone as his desperation to live - his _pleas _\- were evident. Yet Saisho prowled to him as if she were a lion and he were a gazelle, and he was her pray.

"Don' worry, Aki-kun," She purred, "it'll be over in a quick second - I'll just take ya under m'wing, and you'll be -"

I tuned her out as my eyes darted around the forest. Silent as a mouse I had to be. She was a chuunin under Yugakure, and she'd hear me and perhaps even see me as I moved.

I threw my last kunai and it was with her. I needed something - _something _to stab her with. _**Move, dammit! **_

"I-I'm begging y-"

"Sh," Saisho bubbled as Aki bawled uncontrollably, ignoring his frantic pleas.

She was inching closer and closer - and that's when I saw a figure - a flash of auburn hair? Ibo? - swing and seized Aki with great speed - I heard a surprised cry and the bawls stop, and a soft cooing of, "_don't cry, you're okay now, just wait -" _\- and I saw Saisho whip around, take out a shuriken, and charged after Ibo.

"Ichigo," I heard a voice. I struggled to turn around to find the tone of voice - to find the person calling my name. "Why're you sitting there? Get the heck up. Didn't I tell you to buck up?"

I blinked owlishly and instantly recognized it. Hamu.

"Catch this and get up, dumb ass,"

Instinctively I reached out and caught it - although nipping my palm in the process - and came in contact with a kunai.

I coughed as I struggled to rise, grabbing my shoulder.

"Hamu," I murmured. "Where's Yasa-sensei?"

"He's coming soon. He's just finished up with that bitch's teammates - I had to help him, sensory shinobi and all - and he'll be coming. But we're going to need to defeat her, mmkay?"

"Ah, let me patch this up really quick," I said hurriedly as I reached into my bag, smearing ointment messily over my wound, and wrapping it with gauze messily.

It was even more messy than before, but I shakily got up, clutching my kunai. I swallowed thickly, praying that Saisho hadn't reached Ibo yet.

"Can you sense him?" I questioned as I hastily abandoned my bag and got on the move with Hamu.

"Yeah," Hamu replied gruffly. "My mice are scrambled around the forest -"

"How does it work?" I couldn't help but inquire as my curiosity grew about his summoning contract and his techniques.

He glanced at me incredulously, but sucked his teeth and rebandaged his thumbs absentmindedly, his eyes darting around the forest as he licked his lips.

"I don't really give a rat's ass about my clan's history," He began as he ran his fingers through his hands, "but basically the founder of our clan did some weird, 'voodoo' shit if you believe in that, and we somehow got a lifetime contract with the mice back in _Mausu Chikashitsu_ _**(2). **_We summon rats, gerbils, hamsters, mice, those kinda animals.

"Basically, like the Aburame clan, we have a contract; the mice feed on our chakra _and _blood. It's a bit painful to bite your thumbs and have a few mice suck on you skin to drain your blood, but it's worth it; because we're able to sense chakra, infiltrate, and gather intel." He finished with a sigh as he finished up his bandages and rubbed them habitually.

"Then why is your clan treated badly?" I asked bluntly, narrowing my eyes as the wind bit at my skin.

"Rats, Ichigo. We summon _rats_. They aren't exactly renowned - while bugs may seem disgusting and dogs may seem sloppy, but _rats_?" He snorted rudely. "My goal is to honor my clan. Stop being treated like shit by everyone."

I glanced at him. His jaw was clenched in determination, and then I realized how important this mission was for him. Why it's so important for him to increase his kill count - the more you kill, the more renowned you are in the shinobi society.

I swallowed thickly. Hamu drew a harsh breath.

"Shi-I feel him - I - _I feel three people. Four people on the way!_" He informed me hastily. "Let's up our pace!"

I nodded at his command as I clutched my shoulder, my ankles burning.

"Do you have any spare kunai?" I asked him suddenly, my hands sweating. _Was I going to kill someone? Was I preparing to murder someone in cold blood? Why was I so nonchalant? _

Hamu snorted again. "C'mon, Ichigo - you've got to stock up on your weapons." Nonetheless, he reached into his holster bag strapped to his thigh and rummaged through it, careful not to nip his fingers. He handed me a shuriken.

Suddenly, I felt Hamu's hand slam down onto my shoulder and we skidded to a stop.

"What the hell, Hamu?" I fumed. "You _know _my shoulder is wounded!"

I glued my mouth shut once I saw his expression. His eyebrows were furrowed together in anger and his fingers trembled.

I followed his gaze and my heart stopped.

There, leaning against a tree trunk, was Saisho. Her hair was messy and her clothes were torn; there were a few scratches and across her dark brown arm. She looked like a slight mess.

But that wasn't the only thing. Ibo and Aki had _disappeared. _

"Where the _hell _is Ibo?" Hamu snarled nastily, his fingers trembling as he bared his lips.

"He's gone," Saisho whispered softly. "I killed him."

* * *

**FOOTNOTES: **

**\- **the infraspinatus is the muscle tendon near the shoulder and armpit.

**\- **Mausu Chikashitsu means 'mouse basement'. Since mouses typically (or rats?) live in basements, or mythically do, I figured it'd make sense that the Summoning Mice habitat. My first choice was Rattu Gesudiō, but decided against it. You'll see why in a few!

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ooh, I'm glad for all the lovely reviews, favorites, and follows! Anyways, sorry this chapter is long and boring. I absolutely _suck _at fight scenes. Saisho is sort of a one dimensional, stoic character. If you couldn't tell, she has long brown hair, brown skin, and greenish-bluish eyes. She's boring and I absolutely hate her, LOL, and not because she's the antagonist of this arc.

I had to cut this chapter short because it would've been _**MUCH **__too long _and I'd hate to bore my readers w/ a boring fight scene + long chapter.

Please read and review! I love them all! thank you xx


	12. 平和の弧 (ARC OF PEACE)

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(Arc II: Missions arc)**_

**Chapter Twelve: ****平和の弧 ****(ARC OF PEACE)**

* * *

My heart stopped and my knees buckled. I collapsed on my knees and clutched my mouth as I felt bile - _real bile _\- rise out my throat and escaped out my mouth. I disregarded the vomit on my hands and wiped them on my trees, throat burning. I clutched my stomach as Saisho sniggered.

I took a glance at Hamu and felt my heart soften. Tears stung his golden eyes as his sclera **(3) **grew red with tears.

He wiped them furiously and charged without forewarning.

"Hamu - _**stop!**_" I screeched as I rose slowly, feeling nauseous with the scent of my puke and blood mingling in the air.

Hamu ignored me as he flicked his wrist. The shuriken slipped from his fingers and punctured the air, towards Saisho. She easily dodged it and got to her feet.

I clutched my kunai, watching Hamu as he relentlessly charged at her, aiming kicks and punches at her vital areas. She easily dodged it.

My hand was trembling - why was I trembling? - as I watched the scene helplessly. No. I wasn't helpless. I could go and charge, aid in Hamu before he gets killed, but I was _frightened. _

I was paralyzed by fear. Ibo was dead. Aki was God-knows-where. Yasa sensei was gone. This mission was a total failure and death was inevitable.

My fingers. My hands. _**stop trembling damn it. death will come soon. it'll be painless. **__(you know it's a lie…) __**you've been through it before. **__(it's different… another second chance wasted __**-**_ _) _

I felt like a mess. Snot was running down my nose and tears were tumbling down my cheeks. I felt like - I _wanted _to - giving up. Just sitting down, crossing my legs, closing my eyes, and waiting for my inexorable death.

But I didn't. For some reason, there was guilt gnawing at me. Hamu - _fucking Hamu -_ was there, fighting for his life, in an uncontrollable rage. He was blindly fighting Saisho, knowing that he would die, but he was so angry he couldn't think rationally. He was mourning for his best friend's death.

My grip on my kunai tightened, and even though my knees felt like they were filled with water, I charged after Hamu. I couldn't hear or see anything. All I saw was Hamu and Saisho - Hamu accidentally not dodging Saisho's swinging, swift kick as she dipped and bent over, her hands slammed on the floor as her leg jutted forward to his jaw - and -

_**SNAP! **_

I couldn't stop. I couldn't stop moving. My body was not in my control as I saw Hamu crumple to the floor, nursing a jaw that was possibly broken. I wanted to throw up at his body, but instead, I charged. Was this how Hamu felt while he swooped onto Saisho? This white-hot _fury_ gnawing inside of him, where it wouldn't stop eating at you until you _**demolished - someone's - body? **_

I felt my hands tighten on my weapon as I charged at Saisho. She whipped around, eyes widened, but quickly dodged my assault. The smell of blood wafted through the air but I ignored it. The locations on her body on where I should punch and kick were running through my brain wildly. The side of her neck - the jugular vein - to knock her out? Or her solar plexus?

I didn't have time to ponder. I just had to _act_. My fists decided for me. I aimed at her solar plexus with a kick. I grunted as she easily swerved her body.

"I'm done playing with mice," She decided aloud. Before I could even process her words, I felt cold fingers wrap around my throat. **i **_**.. .can't. . . breat h e . **_

Pinning me to a tree trunk, she whipped out a kunai and looped it around her finger. Her teal eyes narrowed as they bore into my own eyes. I co_u_ld_**n'**_t - breathe - _**i need air i need air in eed ai r i needd to breat he someone he lp **_

Her fingers traced my neck. I was fighting for oxygen - _I needed to kill her I needed to kill her I needed to kill her I needed to kill her - _

_**Wow. Isn't it funny how fast you're ready to discard someone's life in order to save your own? **_

She traced the back of my neck and my eyes widened. I didn't know too much about human's anatomy, especially in this world, but as far as I know, she was tracing the back of my neck - and her hand was shaped in the knife hand strike - _is she going to hit my jugular vein, effectively knocking me off conscious? _

I got my answer when I felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck and the world went all black.

* * *

_**Noises. Murmurs. Laughter. Where was I? **_

My memories came surging back to me causing my head to pound - Saisho, Ibo's death, Aki's disappearance, the mission, Hamu. I felt a lump grow in my throat and panic pierce me. I was being restricted and I felt the wind slap my face. Where was I? Did Saisho abduct me and abduct Aki? Was I in heaven, being reborn again?

I struggled to open my eyes, but after curiosity continued on gnawing at me, I finally managed to open them with a struggle. I couldn't speak. My throat felt heavy - and not only with tears - and my lips were dry.

My vision was bleary, but I tried to make out what I saw. Figures - two, perhaps? - and trees.

Suddenly, I felt my body stop. Whoever was carrying me had abruptly stopped, and simultaneously, so did the figures.

My vision was getting clearer and I saw a head of messy auburn hair. The other head had dar hair.

_Where are they taking me…? _I thought. I needed to sharpen up. It was going to be slow, but I needed to do something. My thoughts weren't coherent and I felt dizzy. I had a huge migraine coming up, but my first priority was escaping.

However, my "abductors" realized I had woken up and they quickly sat me down.

My vision finally sharpened and cleared up, after what seemed like hours, (which it probably was. Recovery from getting hit in the jugular vein wasn't instant, you know.) I finally was able to study and analyze the situation.

However, there wasn't any analyzing to do. I instantly recognized the faces staring before me. Yasa-sensei was one - and the other one was Hamu. The third one was -

_**Was I in hell? Heaven? Where the fuck was I? **_

"Is this some sort of joke?" I fumed. Who the fuck was behind this? Orochimaru? _(stop acting so irrational…) __**Perhaps Orochimaru resurrected him. It was possible. He was able to do it in the manga and anime. Perhaps he needed a test subject - **_

"Ichigo, calm down," Yasa soothed, putting his hands on my shoulders. I shook him off roughly and stared at the corpse - _the corpse that was blinking, breathing, and moving. _I felt my heart pound. My migraine was hitting me full hard and I felt as if I were going to have a heart attack out of pure confusion, anxiety, and fear.

"Calm down, Ichigo," Yasa repeated more forcefully. Ibo moved forward, but I quickly slipped out his hands.

"Don't touch me," I snarled harshly.

"_Ichigo_, listen to me - this is a command," Yasa ordered authoritively. I stopped glowering and I averted my gaze to Yasa. My heart was still thundering and I clutched my left breast.

"Ichigo, you were immobilized and was presumably rendered unconscious by Saisho," Began Yasa, his eyebrows scrunched together. "When I finally arrived on the scene, I was shocked to find you unconscious. I thought the plan hadn't worked -"

"What plan?" I interjected, licking my dry lips.

"Hamu, Ibo, and I constructed a plan before we left the inn. We were aware of the team of men trailing us - Hamu's rats, and all _(Mice, dumb ass! - Hamu interjected)_. While you were catching a few hours of shuteye, we were procuring a plan. The plan was simple. Ibo hides Aki - you'll believe he faked his death, Ichigo - and he's been presumed dead while he's actually posing as Aki -"

"That's a stupid plan," I interjected haughtily. "I mean, wouldn't the shinobi kidnap Ibo-as-Aki?"

"Ibo's a Shinobi of Konohagakure, Ichigo-chan," Yasa replied kindly. "He can handle a few Chuunin."

I blinked, then blinked again.

"Anyways, like I said, Saisho would believe he died because you and Hamu died - Hamu knew he was alive, but he faked it."

"So, Hamu getting beaten up and me almost getting abducted or killed was part of your plan?" I asked angrily.

Yasa smiled at me.

"Oh, sorry, Ichigo," He said, rubbing his neck nervously. "It wasn't part of my plan to come across two Chuunin who were hiding. They're really smart, but weak."

"You're a lousy sensei," I declared. I rubbed my temples and snuck a glance at Ibo, then gasped. I almost choked on my spit as I tried to formulate the words.

There was a long bandage running from his left eye to his right cheek. Excess ointment was smeared from the corners of the thin, long bandage.

"Wha…?"

"Oh, this?" Ibo asked, pointing to his bandage. "I was wounded."

"He was wounded _badly_," Hamu asserted. "Some ugly chuunin sliced his face up real good, and now there'll be a scar. There goes his prettiness."

Ibo gently elbowed Hamu and flashed me a smile.

"It's alright, Ichigo."

"Where's Saisho?" I asked hesitantly. Did I even want to know? What if she was roaming the forests, waiting for us to be caught off guard and she'd attack us? Waiting on her chance for revenge?

Yasa must've caught my worried look. He gave me a soft smile.

"Don't worry, Ichigo! I killed her."

My stomach churned.

"You shoulda' seen him, Ichigo - he just swooped in outta nowhere, and then he did this fire jutsu, and he literally _charred _her alive - her corpse is burnt somewhere, ashes are somewhere -"

I want to throw up again. I didn't need the details of someone's death, or how my sweet, little cute sensei killed her nonchalantly. And he wasn't even _blushing. _

"I'm ready to go to the village, but I can't walk yet." I said finally.

"Hm," Yasa pondered, his eyes darting between Hamu and Ibo.

"Not it!" Hamu shouted quickly, throwing his hands up and backing away.

"Sorry, Ibo," I apologized softly. Ibo smiled at me and shrugged.

"It's fine," Ibo replied. He turned his back to me and I leaped onto him. He grunted slightly but straightened up, grabbing my ankles so I wouldn't fall.

We continued onwards for Konoha.

* * *

Looking at the Hokage and giving him the reports of your mission was hard. I fidgeted constantly.

Turns out, they made it to Sumigakure, rested, and returned Aki safely. Aki was prodded and babied, and his father was a little gruff to them, but he was understanding and a little apologetic. Ibo would be healed for his wound by medics later and I was too be taken immediately after my report to the hospital for healing - and then after that, was recuperating. They didn't want me to tear my wound again. I had a migraine and my shoulders were wounded. I wasn't in the mood to go on any missions.

"This would put a hold on a few things," The Sandaime said regretfully to my sensei.

Yasa hung his head sadly.

"Yes, it would. Let's pray she heals fast." I wasn't sure what they were talking about, but I was too dizzy to ask, and after that, they took me to the Hospital. It wasn't anything serious, but the nurses scolded me for applying my ointment incorrectly and not wrapping my gauze tightly enough.

"_Oops! I suppose I'll be sure to wrap it much more slower and be more focused on wrapping my wound than protecting my life. Dully noted, Nurse-san!_" I wanted to snarl, but I kept my lips pressed into a thin line. They gave me a few painkillers and every few hours, rehealed me and checked on my gauzes to make sure my wound hasn't reopened. They ordered me to stay in, stop training and missions, and to rest.

My family wasn't too happy to see me. They were sobbing over my body, and when I told them the details, they sobbed even more.

"Quit being a shinobi, Ichigo-chan!" Wailed my grandmother as she dabbed at her eyes. My grandfather sniffled unintentionally comedically. "Mhm, Ichigo - what she said!"

I told them all I needed was to rewrap my gauzes daily, apply my ointment three times a day, and I needed a good sleep and tea. After I told them that, they disappeared in a blink of an eye, presumably off to whip up some wagashi and the best tea they ever made.

My teammates visited me just before I was leaving. I was glad they came, because I wanted to have a talk with them.

"'Ey, Ibo, Hamu - if you ever leave me out of your plans again just because I'm a girl, I'll slit your throat. Got it?" I threatened. I wasn't so menacing with my neck braced up and my shoulders bandaged.

Hamu and Ibo blinked.

"Ichigo-chan," Ibo said gently, "we don't do that because of your _sex_. We do it because…" He hung his head embarrassingly, looking down at his shoes.

"We do it because you're a civvie!" Hamu jeered, rubbing his thumbs. "You aren't shinobi-experienced, so obviously we leave you out of things."

"Don't do it again," I told him. "I'm just as much as a shinobi as you are. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah," He waved his hand, dismissing me. "Now, can we go to this really cool dango place? I want to tell you guys something."

"I can't. I have to rest," I pointed out glumly.

"Well, we'll pick some dango up on the way and we'll talk while we walk you to your house," He decided with an air of finality and without a word, walked out the hospital room.

* * *

Hamu greedily chewed on his _hanami _dango as we walked to my house.

"Mmkay - -" He began. "Guess what? So, my cousin - is she my cousin? I don't know who the hell she is - Sunaneko rushed home really excited. She's a fifteen year old genin who failed the Chuunin exams, like, twice.

"Anyways, she was so excited and came to the Compound to tell the Clan Head - her father - that she's going to the Chuunin Exams, which is _soon_."

I stopped walking, and so did Ibo. Hamu realized we weren't keeping up the pace and stopped, too, turning away.

"_What_? The Chuunin exams? _It's too soon_!" I shrieked.

"I agree," Ibo replied. "Your shoulders are barely healed. You probably are not able to go."

"My shoulders will be healed by the end of this week, trust me. I have another Doctor's Appointment. But why didn't Yasa-sensei _tell _us?"

"Perhaps that was what he and Hokage-sama were talking about?" Ibo suggested, and it all hit me: what they were saying. "_This would put a hold on things / let's hope she heals fast…" _

"Where is it?" I asked Hamu.

He finished off his dango and picked his teeth with the skewer.

"Mm," He thought, rubbing his nose. "I think in Kirigakure or something? Yeah, Kirigakure." He nodded firmly.

"I've got to tell my family," I declared anxiously. "I've got to see you guys later. Bye!" I waved off as much as I could and stiffly waddled to the rest of the way to my house.

_I've __got __to go to this Chuunin Exams, _I thought anxiously as I raced home, _if I don't go this year, then the next Chuunin Exams will be with Konoha Twelve - this means Suna's coup and Suna and Oto allying. I cannot be in town for that. I have to make it to this Chuunin Exams, then leave Konoha during the next one. I first cannot be in the same room as Orochimaru or forest, and second, there'll be too much chances to interact with Konoha Twelve. I can't talk to them shall I risk changing something in the future. _

I shuddered just thinking about staring at Kabuto, Orochimaru-in-disguise, or coming across the Oto team that had attempted to kill Sasuke in the Forest of Death. I couldn't be there. Either make it to the Chuunin Exams in Kiri - or risk changing the future.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **This is my worst chapter, I swear. I absolutely hated it. If you were hoping that Ichigo was going to kick ass and kill Saisho, who is a pretty damn kick-ass Chuunin woman, then you were sorely mistaken. :(( It's not Ichigo's time yet. Her time where she kicks ass will be soon, but I think it's really, _really _unrealistic for a civilian Genin to beat a missing-nin, sadistic, sociopath Chuunin. I think really the only reason why Naruto and Sasuke were able to kick ass was because Sasuke was from a pretty damn sociopathic clan who yields an OP doujutsu and Naruto has access to the Nine-tails chakra, healing, and his weird ass determination, so before Sakura became a bad ass kunoichi, those two were the strong, bad ass strong Genin.

Anyways, thanks for all the reviews! I appreciate it. Thank you. xx


	13. 漏らす (REVEAL)

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(Arc II: Missions arc)**_

**Chapter Thirteen: ****漏らす ****(REVEAL) **

* * *

When I burst into my home, breathless and excited, my family rushed out their seats and scampered over to me, gently leading me back to a comfortable position. Without exchanging words, they fixed me a cup of ice cold water (a change for once!) and my aunt disappeared upstairs to retrieve my ointment.

"What's going on?" My uncle asked concerned as he peered up at my face.

"Nothing too serious. I have something to tell you," I said as I regained my breath. My aunt returned downstairs quickly and uncapped my ointment. The smell of yarrow, mint, and eucalyptus wafted through the air and I wrinkled my nose at the scent.

"The Chuunin Exams are coming up,"I finally revealed after a dramatic pause.

My family blinked owlishly at me. There was a deafening silence. My grandma was the first to break it.

"Oh. Isn't that some competition for shinobi to move up a ranking?" She inquired, waving her hands around dismissively. "What about it?"

I stared incredulously at her.

"I can't be a Genin forever, y'know," I sniffed indignantly at her. "If I become a Chuunin, I could have better pay and better missions." I winced when I said that. My family wasn't too happy at the mention of 'missions'; the thought of me facing death and being terribly injured wandered back into their minds and they hated the thought of my safety and life being in jeopardy.

"To become a Chuunin, I must enter the _Chuunin Exams_." I finished slowly, as if explaining why the sky was blue to three year olds. They stared at me lamely, then a wave of comprehension hit their faces. They nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh!" My aunt exclaimed. "That'd - that'd be _awesome,_ Ichigo. You'd be a Chuunin? You could have more opportunities!"

A wave of relief washed over me. _I've received their approval. All I needed was my recovery and Yasa-sensei's recommendation and I could avoid ever interfering with the next Chuunin Exams - where Rookie Nine, Team Gai, Gaara, and Orochimaru are in. _

"Where is it?" My grandfather asked curiously. "How long would you be away from home?"

"A while, actually," I realized aloud. "Perhaps… two months or so?" I rubbed my chin. The Konohagakure Chuunin Exams could've been totally different than the Kiri exams, so I had no clue. I couldn't predict anything.

"It's in Kirigakure," I informed them.

My family's faces went pale. I froze up at the emotion written across their face: _disapproval. fear. _

"Wha-?" I didn't finish my sentence. My uncle fisted and unfisted his hand, keeping it firmly at his thigh as his jaw clenched.

"What's wrong with Kiri?" I asked. Perhaps my family hated the village? It was understandable. During Yagura's reign - which I believe he died - it was a bloody mess. No wonder the village was called 'The Bloody Mist'. Bloodthirsty, cutthroat barbarians roamed the village. Homeless children were killed. Whatever you had to survive, you had to take it and steal it - then kill whoever you took it from.

"We have bad ties with that village," My grandmother spat unkindly. I squinted my eyes at her behavior. Her face was still pallid and her lips were pursed into a disapproving, thin line.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked, insistent to know what the hell was going on.

"We don't think you should attend the Chuunin Exams this year," My aunt put in as she pursed her pink lips shrewdly. "It's - we don't recommend it. We _forbid_ you."

"Why?" I demanded, rising from my chair abruptly, anger coiling around me. "_Why_?" I felt like a three year old spoilt child, but I didn't care. _Can't you see I can't attend the Exams next year? Can't you guys see I'm trying to protect myself - and you guys, as well? _

"It's none of your business," My aunt replied coolly, staring at me in disapproval. "We're your elders, your guardians -"

"That doesn't matter in the shinobi world," I retorted nastily. "I'm an adult as soon as I put this on my body!" I gestured roughly to my hitai-ate wrapped around my waist, my blue eyes narrowing defiantly at my aunt. "I _can _go to the Chuunin Exams whether I want to or not!" _\- and my teammates would have to agree, but they didn't need to know that. _

My aunt's mouth opened in the shape of an _O_, as if shocked at my behavior. I couldn't blame her, but as of now, I was feeling fiery and defiant, and I was annoyed at being treated as a little kid. I was tired of being underestimated, my comprehension skills underestimated. Whether it was because I was a civilian or because I was younger, I was sick and tired, and I wanted answers _now_.

"You want to know, _Ichigo_?" My aunt spat malevolently, her eyes narrowed into tiny, slightly regretful slits. My heart pounded in anticipation as I waited for her to continue. Her fingers flexed and her glare never left my eyes.

"Do you want to know _**why **_we are forbidding you to attend this Chuunin Exams in Kiri?"

I waited with baited breath for an answer - and then -

"_**Because your father lives in Kiri!" **_

* * *

I never really thought about my parents. All my life, I was so worried about not getting killed, finding my morals and keeping it together and trying to stop my humanity from slipping from my fingers that I never really had time to think about what my mother liked to do one a Sunday morning or what my father was thinking about. I thought of my mother sporadically, and my father - even less. He was a myth in my mind, just like how Santa Claus was. I knew he was _there, _I knew he may have existed, I know he _might _be living somewhere God-Knows-Where, but I didn't really _know _him. I didn't know his nature, his appearance, or his personality.

He was a simple illusion in my mind and he wasn't a problem.

Now things changed.

* * *

\- "_**because your father lives in Kiri!" **_

My aunt and I whipped our heads to our grandmother, who had tears in her large eyes. Her hair was suddenly messy, as if her hands were dug deep inside her strands, and she looked tired.

"Wha-?"

_my father… he lives… in Kiri…? he's a kiri - shinobi? _

"Your dad - I don't know what happened, I'm not sure why. But your mother refused to tell us. But when she came home begging to move in again - this was in Konohagakure - and her belly looked plump, I already knew. She was pregnant." My grandmother wiped her eyes as she sniffled.

"I asked her who. She refused to tell me. I continued on relentlessly asking her, until finally - I believe she was five months pregnant, maybe six - she cracked. She shouted that one day she decided she wanted to feel _spontaneous. _I realized that in her younger years, she was a very good girl - she stirred up no trouble and was a peacemaker in her classes. Even in the family.

"Anyways, she wanted to feel alive. I will never forget her words when she told me: ' _I still feel his fingers trailing down my stomach when I'm alone at night. I still feel his kisses down my neck - I still feel everything.' _I forgot the rest, but she gave me a long speech about her 'true love'. He was a shinobi from Kiri escorting a man; it was a very long mission, so they stayed four nights in Konoha. In that small span of time, your mother was able to - to - _screw _him. After he left, she never saw him again. She knew very little about him. She knew he was part of a clan - 'the women in his clan were crazy,' she told me once over a cup of tea - and she knew that he was going to be married. Clan betrothings I guess.

"But he wanted to feel alive as well. He didn't want to be caged into the confines of his clan, so he screwed around with my _daughter_, knocked her up, then left." My grandmother finished bitterly, glowering at her shoes.

I couldn't process anything. I couldn't feel anything. _My father is alive. My father is alive. My father is alive. My father is alive. My father is ali _

"We're not sure he knows you're even alive," My grandmother suddenly said. "But good riddance. We don't need him. We love you - _very, very m_uch, Ichigo-chan." She opened her arms, gesturing for a hug, but I ignored her invitation. I stared at my hands in horror.

_I'm the product of a civilian, rebellious woman and a disgusting jerk. _I wanted to throw up.

"Does the - does the Hokage know about this?" I said, swallowing thickly.

"No," My aunt suddenly said. "He doesn't know. And he won't."

"This is _illegal_," I protested. "It's - he has to know!"

"Don't you dare tell him, Ichigo-chan," My aunt said. "Please."

I closed my mouth after her softened eyes and continued staring at my hands.

"What's my dad's name?" I asked slowly.

"We don't know," My grandmother answered. "Your mother never revealed much, you know?"

"Did she hold a diary? Did she write anything?" I interrogated.

"Your mother wasn't a teenage girl, Ichigo-chan," My grandmother replied gently. "She didn't keep those frivolous things -"

"She was a private woman, right?" I inquired. "Private people can't keep their feelings bottled up forever. They have to let their feelings out _somehow_."

_Whether it was killing, screaming, writing, drawing, or singing, _I thought absentmindedly.

I got up from my chair.

"I'm sorry for my outburst," I said mechanically. "I'm going to go rest so I could recuperate faster. I love you all very much." I took the ointment from my aunt's tightened grip, turned around, and walked up to my room, my mind reeling with ideas and questions.

My father's existence was a surprise. But I needed to know his name. For my sake, perhaps - or just for closure. But I was going to find out who he was. What his name was. _I needed answers. _

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Not only was this chapter not up to par, it was also **short**! about 1700 words, which is less than my usual 2500 words per chapter. I'm sorry, but I had to leave it at that. I told y'all you'd get her lineage revealed soon! xx


	14. 道徳 (MORALS)

**Note: **_At the end of the story I will be replying to reviews/comments from **gunslayer12, RakCetGirl and OtakuWhovian1224! **_

* * *

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(Arc II: Missions arc)**_

**Chapter Fourteen: ****道徳 ****(MORALS)**

* * *

My team reunited after a week of vacation from missions. My shoulders were healed with fresh, long and jagged scars running through them roughly. When I shed my long sleeved qipao blouse, I felt disgusted looking at my brown shoulders. Just the sight of them was a ice-cold blast of memory of Saisho and the mission gone awry; it was her souvenir.

Even though she was dead - "_Yasa-sensei burned her to crisps!" Hamu gushed excitedly - _and I knew she was dead, I felt a cold sensation as if she were haunting me. As if she were preying on me, watching me as I slipped into the cold sheets of my futon. Although I didn't kill her, I was involved with her.

I didn't sleep well since that day.

"You look good as new, Ichigo-chan," Yasa chirped as he greeted us with a wave of his gloved hand.

"Mm," I grunted as I rubbed my eyebrows.

Hamu ran his tongue over his sharpened teeth and Ibo scratched his head absentmindedly.

"Now," Yasa began seriously. "I have invited _this _team to attend and partake in the Chuunin Exams."

I chewed on my lips as I realized his words. _He wants us to go. _

Now, do I choose my family's decision - or my instructor's gentle, masqueraded command-as-invitation?

You know what I chose.

Although I wanted to see my father's face desperately and hear him talk and just let him know that I'm fucking alive - _all I wanted was his acknowledgement of my existence and that's when I knew that I needed to stop seeking desperately for others approval of my actuality. - _but I was scared. Would he shun me? Would he be a cold, stoic douche?

"I can't go," I blurted out over Hamu's enthusiastic "_hell yeah!"_

He stopped and glowered at me.

"What'd you say, Ichigo? I don't think I heard you right -"

I turned to him, because today with my mental state slowly but surely deteriorating and I wasn't in the mood for his _bullshit_, I gave him a scowl and snarled, "Well, seeing as how _my family does not want me to go to the previously dubbed 'Bloody Mist' where they are savages - because, if you haven't forgotten they are tea-owners and are scared of my inevitable death in my future and want to prevent it and postpone it, _so if you could stop being full of yourself for one fucking moment, then I can rest and meditate."

My words were clustered together, rolling off my tongue naturally. I glued my lips together, realizing what I had just replied. I did not regret it. Instead, I kept my eyes locked with Hamu's.

_Do. Not. Test. Me. Today. _

Hamu's gaze lowered and golden eyes narrowed in a mean, nasty scowl, but he didn't reply. He noticed the severity of my words, even though I did not give away all my information. Was I really dumb enough to inform my Jounin instructor, clan teammate, _and teammate who's born into a clan of intelligence gathering and interrogation specialists _that my father was actually from the Hidden Mist, not from Konoha, and that they could actually take me in and arrest me for withholding this information and mistake me for a spy?

Yeah. I'm stupid, but not _that _stupid.

"I must agree with Ichigo-chan - however not for the same reasons," Ibo quipped. He gave me an offhand smile, but I did not return it.

Ibo looked more or less the same. It's only been a week, but his scar was already old. It was black and long, running across his face, detracting from his ethereal, appealing aesthetic. However, I did not comment on it, as I can already tell he was self-conscious about it from the way he ran his fingertips through it subconsciously.

"Team Gai have decided to not take this Chuunin Exams and to instead use this time to train for the next Chuunin Exams," he informed us.

Hamu shut his mouth.

"Hmph. I suppose it's a good idea, then," He reluctantly agreed. "If snobby Hyuuga Neji is doing it -"

"Liar. You're only allowing this to happen because you want to show TenTen off your moves," Ibo accused playfully. Hamu's ears reddened as he spluttered out an excuse, waving his hands dramatically.

My ears twitched at the accusation.

_Hamu likes TenTen? _

However, I didn't comment on it.

"I suppose that's settled then. We won't go to Kirigakure." Yasa frowned a bit, but quickly brightened. Clapping his hands together, he gave us a blinding smile.

"I've given the mission a thought," He said, "and I asked Hokage-sama if we could take a small vacation from missions. I suppose on psychological leave?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. Hamu and Ibo did not.

"_What?" _Hamu screeched. "How'll I hone my skills? I need experience to be strong! Y'know how I handled that mission!" He threw a fist in the air. "I was a bad ass!"

"You also need to train, Hamu. Although you have your clan's jutsus, I have to teach you a jutsu or two before the next Chuunin Exams. Imagine if you guys took this Chuunin Exams. What would you know?"

Yasa pursed his lips.

"Ichigo-chan would only know basic taijutsu and the average Genin can kick her ass. Hamu, you only know your clan's basic infiltration jutsu and summoning techniques. If I'm correct, you can't even summon the average rat?"

Hamu flushed.

"Ibo, you don't know much about your clan's jutsus. You're struggling with it. _You. All. Are. Not. Prepared._"

He finally breathed.

"I'm going to teach you a variety of things. The next few months will be absolutely _brutal_."

I let a groan escape my lips as I ran my fingers through my ponytail. I was annoyed. This was supposed to be a psychological rest. And instead, I was going to be training my ass off.

Was it too late to specialize in the Ocha family's secret tea brewing?

* * *

Yasa had a plan. He decided to first work on our chakra control and taijutsu.

And let me tell you, having an imbalanced chakra structure was hard to focus chakra onto certain parts. Ibo and Hamu got it right off the bat. Hamu got it first. "I need to have moderate chakra control to summon my rats," He said snootily as he slid down from the tree.

I was panting by the time lunch began, and my throat was aching for some water. My throat was parched, sweat dripped from my forehead, and I wanted to fall onto the plush grass and sleep.

_This is how Naruto and Sasuke felt like?_ I thought as I felt my body give up.

"Ichigo, perhaps you need a break?" Ibo suggested as he bent over my figure.

"No," I insisted, wiping the sweat off my brow from the back of my hand, "I need to do this - I need to _do_ this, it's not _fair_ -"

I didn't want to admit to them that my body was screaming for hydration. They already doubted me - and this further proved their doubts that I could not keep up with them.

I could mould my chakra - no matter that my chakra anatomy was slightly imbalanced with more spiritual energy than physical. However, I could mould it. I could feel it squishing around through my body.

To my minimal understanding of humans in Naruto, they shared the same structure that we humans had in my old world; cardiovascular, respiratory, excretory, musculoskeletal systems and etc. They then had additional systems.

If I had to separate them and divide them, then my spiritual energy (yin) would be located near my brain - my hypothalamus. It's also called the _sahasrara_. I can group this with _ajna_, my third-eye chakra, with my spiritual chakra. This is the energy that I have more of - it's my mental energy, my soul, my spirit, my consciousness. I retained my consciousness from my old world.

My physical energy is located in every cell of my body. If I can guess, I'd say my physical energy would be similar or close to _muladhara. _I'm not trying to use big words, but it's located at the base of my spine in the coccygeal region. Subdivisions of physical energy would be _manipura,_ _svadhishthana, anahata and vishuddha. _

The chakra pathway system is akin to circulatory system. The tenketsu would be similar to blood vessels. Like how the circulatory system details how blood flows, the chakra pathway system details how chakra flows.

With my quick understanding, I had to come up with a solution. I had to find a way to manipulate my chakra pathway to flow towards my feet, where other tenketsu were located. I had to combine my spiritual and physical energy -

But I needed to be replenished first.

"Pass me a cup of water," I said as I struggled to rise, rubbing dirt off my skin to no avail. I gave up on trying to clean the dirt off my arms and when Ibo came to give me my water, my fingers trembled. I felt as if I have been on a long fast. My stomach was growling uncontrollably, my muscles were strained, my throat was parched, dots blurred my vision and I was trembling. I could barely walk. If I strained my chakra, I'd deplete it completely.

I drank my ice cold water greedily and gratefully, not pausing to look up or thank Ibo.

After a few seconds of drinking, I finished it off and handed it back to Ibo, feeling replenished and hydrated.

I wiped the excess liquid off my lips as I rose, blinking rapidly at the tree. Without preamble, I charged at the tree, the kunai gripped tightly in my hand.

I felt the cold feeling in the pits of my stomach, ignoring the bile in my throat. I felt my chakra slosh around like slick water. I felt my feet touch the bark and I felt myself rise. I felt as if my foot was falling asleep - it was extremely warm and felt as though needles prickled the soles of my feet.

And then -

… _THUD! _

I felt my back collide with the prickly grass and I winced in pain.

"Aw, man," Hamu said flatly, not making any move to help me. "You feel. Wow."

"Shut up," I hissed as I sat up. "I - I _got higher,_ I'm almost close. Yasa-sensei, I did it!"

I scampered up and scurried over to the tree, staring up at my slash on the bark of the tree. Excitement washed over me and I beamed at my instructor.

"I - I did it… I'm not inferior…" I couldn't wipe the grin off my face. "I did it - I fucking did it -"

"Stop boastin', you ain't nothing special," Hamu said snootily, wiping his nose.

"What's next, sensei?" I quipped, balling my fist and punching the air excitedly. "Taijutsu lessons? _Maybe a new jutsu to defeat my wack ass enemies?_"

"That's enough training for today," Yasa said, smiling at me, his emerald eyes beaming. "I think I can speak for all of us - we need some rest. Tomorrow, same time. We'll be working on the walk-on-water technique."

"_That's too advanced!_" I groaned as I pocketed my shuriken and kunai. "We should learn something next -"

"Hold your horses, Ichigo-chan," Yasa replied. "Baby steps."

I scowled. I knew what Naruto felt like - his excitement and desperation to get stronger. While his reason for a quick road to strength was more needed and noble than mine, I still wanted to get stronger. I mean, wouldn't it be bad-ass for me to be fast as lightening and spew fire from my mouths? Or to be able to do flips in mid air, kick someone's throat, and -

… _was I really fantasizing about killing people? _

That's when reality hit me. I was slowly being brainwashed. Without realizing it, I wanted to get stronger _so I can harm more people. _The traumatization from the mission and the intimidating Saisho distressed me to the point where I didn't care about my human morals. I didn't care about what made me human. I didn't care about my principles. All I cared about was becoming strong so I can _kill. _

I'm no longer human. I've been brainwashed to dehumanize and degrade my human character so I can become strong. So I can bend physics and walk on water. I'm not longer human. _**I am no longer human. **_

… and it's scary to think that I just accepted it.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Ooppss! Sorry if this chapter was confusing as hell. I skimmed through the wikipedia page of chakra as studied from hinduism and buddhism. If you have any concerns of my explanations of my POV of chakra, then just comment, and I'll either PM you or address it in my next chapters!

Let me address a few things: Ichigo is slowly losing herself. She's been in this world for so long, where society accepts killing - survival of the fittest. They accept genocide, mass murders, demoralizing yourself and oppression. They view people who yearn for peace as weak. Ichigo will not be an antagonist, but I do not consider herself as a hero. You'll see her mentality soon in a few chapters!

Ichigo is steadily getting the hang of things. Sorry if I didn't drag it out and it was slightly rushed. Also another apology if you thought I was cliche for putting her in the next Chuunin Exams; I've already churned out a storyline plot. It's extremely funny to write how nervous and paranoid Ichigo is on meeting any characters from Naruto and how she's tip toeing around them, but luck is not her friend, lol. Enjoy this chapter! xx

* * *

**REPLYING TO REVIEWS:**

**gunslayer12 said: **_"... __Though I don't really understand why it would matter if her father is a Kiri shinobi, mostly cause they say he might not even be alive, or even that it was just a fling he wouldn't care if his 'child' was there or not and kiri couldn't do a thing about it without pulling Konohas attention_.._" _

I'm not sure if it was confirmed in canon or not, but realistically, a Konoha civilian and a Kiri shinobi having a child and the offspring staying in Konoha can be problematic. For example, the birth of the child can just be a long plan to install a trusted shinobi/kunoichi in there as a spy. It may seem farfetched, but seeing how Orochimaru made Kabuto assemble into a Genin team and fail the Chuunin exams over five times just to gain intel on other shinobi and earn Sasuke and Naruto's trust - it doesn't seem like a stretch, after all. Thanks for reading!

**Rakcetgirl said: **

_"is her father someone from canon or is he an OC?" _

I doubt this is a huge spoiler, so I'll give it away: he's an OC!

**OtakuWhovian1224 said: **

_Awww! I understand that making Ichigo strong would be unrealistic but..can't she be a LITTLE badass?"_

Don't worry! I've already written a draft (it's chapter 17 I think!) of Ichigo showing her hard earned bad ass skills. I just have to edit a little bit and then it'll be ready. Thanks for reading!


	15. 血まみれの唇 (BLOODY LIP)

**NOTE: **I will be replying to reviews from _Seven Deadly! _

* * *

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(Arc II: Missions arc)**_

**Chapter Fifteen: ****血まみれの唇 ****(BLOODY LIP)**

* * *

Training was not to be taken lightly. I thought it'd be quick; a new jutsu a month, taijutsu training every week, all that stuff. But it was hard - especially if you had an imbalance structure of chakra.

Training was not the same as it was in the manga and show, especially if you're a reincarnated soul - a girl from the America who ate McDonalds and Chipotle weekly and didn't give a damn about her diet. I exercised sporadically and I seldom drank water. However, leading a shinobi life was different, especially living in the (semi) feudal lord era. My family brewed _tea _for a living. I drink tea and water daily to replenish my body and keep me healthy. I exercised every day and I made sure to eat leafy vegetables and lots of fruits and protein; although in my past life I did not care, I still remembered a few tips from my health teacher to carry.

It didn't help that I was a feminist in my past life - and I still was. I was still hurt from Kishimoto's, the author, blatant sexism and disregard to female character development and strength. Every male surpassed a female or a female was inferior to her male counterpart - Ino to Shikamaru and Chouji, Sakura to Sasuke and Naruto, Hinata to Kiba and Shino, although Hinata was most likely weaker than everyone. With my long stay in this world, I realized that being kind would get you nowhere, unless your name was Naruto Uzumaki and you had a great way of words, being cruel was the way to go. I didn't even fight the thought anymore. I didn't even feel the wave of horror that washed over me when I thought about it: you had to have a backbone in this society, or at least fake it.

Anyways, I was determined to be equal to my male teammates, or at least not be so blatantly inferior that it was embarrassing.

However, this was proved hard. Yasa was determined to drill us hard and harder; this was worse than my middle school P.E. years. By the time I dragged myself home every day, my whole body was hurting, and I bet if my chakra was solid, it'd hurt, too.

Today, we were working on walking on water for the third time. It was our third day attempting to master this technique. I thought that it was a little too quick for us. We recently completed the Walking on Trees technique and _my _chakra control was a little rusty. However, I took pleasure into seeing Ibo and Hamu descend onto the water as they struggled to complete this task.

It's more difficult than walking on trees because the amount of chakra needed to be released is changing constantly since the water isn't a still, solid surface. The water - the waves - are rippling constantly and moving incessantly.

I wasn't faring any better than Ibo and Hamu; I was also constantly falling through the water, soaking my clothes and my hair. I decided to abandon my clothes - and 'modesty' - and stripped off my qipao-styled blouse to prevent it from getting even more soaked. My teammates had the same idea - they were stripped to their boxers.

_**Mould your chakra - control it… **_

The key to completing this technique was to calculate the amount of chakra I needed to discharge in order to stick to the surface; this would be provided with many trials and errors. I was willing to suffer being soaked in water continuous times in order to master this technique.

_Perhaps I can even beat Hamu and Ibo, the Clan Children, _I thought hopefully and smugly. I'm constantly trying to find a way to prove myself and my worth to my teammates.

I bit the insides of my cheeks as I cautiously touched the water again. The water wasn't hot nor cold. However, it _was _dirty. It made me disgusted to know that other training shinobi washed their blood and dirt in this river, but I decided not to think about because my teammates didn't have a problem with it. However, in my past life I was a slight germ freak. I've eased up my germ problems since I was always getting my face deep into dirt and usually tiny cuts, but the thought of other people's blood and dirt washing me as I fell into the water made me queasy.

I licked my lips as I snuck a glance at my other teammates. I felt a slight pinch of urgency sting me as I realized they were slowly getting the hang of things. I chewed on my lips as I hesitantly placed my feet on the surface of the slowly moving tides of the river.

_**\- by expelling a continuous fixed amount of chakra from their feet in proportion to their weight - **_I snapped my head up as I realized the textbook answer to a question regarding chakra techniques. That's it: I haven't been calculating the amount of chakra I needed in proportion to my weight!

I stole another glance at my teammates. It seems they've realized it long ago and I felt myself flush with embarrassment. I was obviously the slow one in the team.

With a shrug of acceptance, I pondered about my body weight. I wasn't a 'bony' girl, but it was still slightly hard for me to proportionate the amount of chakra to my body weight.

I concentrated, squeezing my eyes closed and digging my nails into my palms as I tried moving my chakra around. It felt weird and made my stomach sting slightly; it was sloshing around like water slopping around one's belly.

Instinctively, I pressed my fingers together in a _tora _seal (_**tiger)**_ as I felt my chakra slosh around, circulating through my body. It felt slightly warm as I felt it shifting to my feet. I was familiar with moving my chakra to fixed places. All I had to do was make it proportionate to my weight.

I felt a heavy, thick set of chakra settle into the soles of my feet and I squeezed my index fingers together as I began to struggle to keep my chakra there. I felt sweat slither down my temples as I struggled to lift up my feet. I tried to delicately set my foot down on the water - and that's when my foot sunk into the murky waters, and once again, I plunged into the deep, dirty water.

* * *

I felt bile rise in my throat as rose from the river. I quickly dog paddled to the grass, dug my fingers into the soil, and heaved myself up. I coughed and clawed at my skin to remove the dirt.

"Gross," I groaned disgustedly as I curiously, and revoltingly, peered into the river. I shivered as I wiped the water from my face.

"Sensei," I whined, dragging my words, "remind us why we have to practice and train _here_? This is dirty and unhygienic."

"It's motivation," Yasa replied, flashing me a soft smile as he rose from his sitting position. "Now, continue on, Ichigo. Ibo and Hamu are already getting the hang of things."

I scowled. Yasa was right; they were falling through the water less and less and they were getting drier, while I was getting wetter. I ran my fingers through my soppy hair, grimacing as I dragged myself to the edge of the river. I was getting close. I just emitted too much chakra; I could tell by the way I was struggling to raise my foot to set it on the water, but I was _close. _

I discarded my shoes, throwing it near Yasa in retaliation for forcing us to train here. He dodged the pair of smelly shoes easily and sent me a kind hearted salute.

With a shaky breath, I raised my fingers in a _tora _seal once more, feeling the cold, slippery feeling of my chakra building up. I could almost feel it buzzing underneath my skin. I felt it circulate once more throughout my chakra circulatory system and I squeezed my eyes even tighter; I tried manipulating the suddenly heavy chakra to settle onto my foot.

I snuck a glance at my teammate, struggling to open my eyes in fear of losing my concentration.

_I cannot believe it! _

There was Hamu, suddenly skating across the water as if it were solid with ease.

"This is easy!" He bragged as he threw his fisted hands in the air. "One step closer to becoming the strongest Nezumi in my clan!"

I bit my lip in frustration as a sense of urgency spiked me. _I - needed - to - master - this - technique. _My jealousy was rifling me up and I felt my nails dig into my index finger. How the _hell _did _Hamu _master this technique before me, when he was also falling through waters? What did _he _know that _I _didn't? **(2)**

I tried keeping my anger in check as I channeled it through my chakra. I felt my legs become warm as they bubbled with chakra. Deciding that was enough chakra, I steadily and hesitantly set a foot onto the surface of the water. I squeezed my eyes even tighter, expecting to meet the warm, dirty water. Instead, I felt the soles of my feet meet the surface of the water.

I opened my eyes, feeling something slip off my lip. I pressed my fingers against my lips and saw blood - I bit my lip so hard that I drew blood, and the scary thing was _I was so far into training that I didn't realize it. _

I shook the thought away. No need to be worrying. I _accomplished _something. And although I wasn't the first or second one in my team to do it, I still mastered it. I was happy, dammit.

My grin made my cheeks burned and I jumped up.

"I did it, guys! Yasa-sensei, I did -"

….

and then I promptly fell into the water.

* * *

I shrugged on my damp clothing. It was able to dry out in the crisp sun, although not completely. I cringed when I wiggled my feet into my sandals, feeling the uncomfortable water from my wet shoes sink onto my feet and hearing the nauseating _**squish. **_

"I say that's enough training. I'm extremely proud of all of you," Yasa praised, beaming. "You've mastered this in about - three days?"

My mood dampened at his words, but then I brightened again. Naruto was only able to master his technique in a few hours because of his immense chakra and Sakura just had freakishly good chakra control… right?

"Although Kaori-san's students mastered it in _two_ days, and Akako-chan's student, Sarutobi Hikari, was able to accomplish this technique in one day and one night, you guys did well!" Yasa gushed, clapping his gloved hands together.

Ibo's small, happy smile wiped off his face. Hamu's right golden eye twitched. I scowled.

_Thanks for the reminder, Yasa-sensei! _

I shouldered my pack and departed from my teammates. Finally alone in my walk to my house, I brought two, shaky fingers and pressed it against my slightly cut lip.

* * *

**FOOTNOTES: **

**(1)- **I wanted to explain this. This was _not _skinny shaming, a jab at skinny girls, are taunting them. I am a _very _bony girl who recently became healthier and gained enough weight to be considered the average weight for my age, height, and gender. I used to be underweight and bony. I still am bony but at the very least I'm not _under_weight. However, I'm merely speculating and theorizing that with all the exercising, eating (to replenish your body and chakra during battles and fights) and training, shinobi would value more weight over less weight, besides young Genin likes Sakura and Ino. This is _**not **_saying that skinny girls need to eat more or that they are uglier. I wanted to point that out. _If _you feel that my statement in the story was offensive and ignorant, _**please **_let me know and I will remove and replace it right away! Thanks! xx

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **This chapter ends awkwardly… but anyways! Our hero, Ichigo, is becoming, well… not so hero-ish, as you can tell! This chapter was all about training and was boring, but there will be more exciting, jaw-dropping, chair gripping chapters in a few. I hope you enjoyed it! xx

* * *

**REVIEWS: **

_"__I don't think making an OC/SI character "strong" is unrealistic. All these whiny complaints about Mary-Sueism doesn't really apply so much when the original creator of the Naruto Universe systematically did that to a horde of his own characters._

_Manga. Not intended to be wholly "realistic". _

_Some writers fear the Mary-Sue tag and so they overcompensate by making their OC ressoundingly weak. _  
_I've lost count of S.I reincarnations who DON'T capitalise on their previous life experiences - who (for some strange reason) are below par with children, who lack intelligence and foresight to drastically improve themselves for the upcoming battles/wars that their previous life should have clued them in to._

_I'm kind of hopeful your OC will pull something remotely interesting/useful out her ass - otherwise, what's to seperate her from the fodder?_  
_Realism is a nice idea, but for people who read manga like Naruto it only goes so far into keeping interest ali_ve."

**I completely agree w/ some of your statements, _Seven Deadly, _but I may have to disagree with a few comments. For example, I believe you misinterpreted on what I was trying to say. Of course, I don't expect myself to try and write a realistic fanfic from a manga where humans breathe fire, walk on water, and can summon giant spiritual animals to fight their battles. When I said "realistic" I was referring to my OC. She's a semi-self insert from the 21st century, so she's not going to be accustomed to the traditions and norms of the shinobi world. When I say "realistic", I mean trying to write a character, originally from the 21st century where killing is a serious crime and its not the norm, and trying to adapt to the world and profession where she gets paid for killing and trains daily to not be killed. That's what I meant. I do agree w/ what you said - if my character was a simple OC and not a reborn-OC. :)**

**Also, I do not agree with your other statement about "it dosnt apply to Naruto". A mary sue differs and it's a matter of opinion, but my personal view on a Mary Sue is a poorly written character who is absolutely gorgeous where even Neji and Sasuke fall in love with him/her, they're bad ass and can beat up Kabuto, suffer from 0 injuries in a fight with Orochimaru or Tsunade, and causes Naruto to fall in love with them instead of Sakura. That's a bit too specific, but you get the gist of what a Mary Sue is in my book. ;) Hope you enjoyed the story!**


	16. ミッション (THE MISSION)

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(Arc II: Missions arc)**_

**Chapter Sixteen: ****ミッション (THE MISSION)**

* * *

Sleep. My eyelids were so heavy, I felt as though they would weigh me down. I was tempted to shut them and _sleep_, but something was keeping me from sleeping.

Suddenly, I heard a creak. I whipped around, realizing I was in my bedroom, snuggled tightly inside my bed. The slapping of wood made me shiver with fear. What the hell was going on? To my limited knowledge, it was nighttime, and my family had an early morning to attend to the teahouse. They didn't have time to generate noise in the middle of the night.

I scratched the corner of my lip as I stared at my door, fear paralyzing me. _If it's not them… then who is it? _

The door creaked open and that's when I released a spine-tingling shriek. I felt my heart hammer in my throat as I saw the haunted, charred face of Saisho. Half her face was burnt to the crisp. The other half was the same crisp, honeysuckle brown. Her beady blue eyes narrowed as she zeroed in on me.

"Revenge," she growled, baring her teeth in a snarl as she whipped out a kunai, slipped it between her teeth, and lunged at me. I couldn't move. I _**couldn't move and I was goinG to die I was so scared Lord elp me I'm not Ocha Ichigo I am Elizabeth Estowfilm who's undeclared but interested in majoring in the medical field I want to - **_

… and then I woke up.

I woke up with my shirt clinging to my body, damp with sweat. I was breathing heavily and the room felt constricted. I felt my fingers shiver involuntarily. My fingers were _itching _for a kunai. I _**needed to protect myself and this household I NEEDED TO **_

I slipped out of bed, my feet touching the ground as I shrugged on my boots. I needed some tea. I needed something sweet. And I needed to run and stretch out my limbs.

The sun was barely setting when I slipped outside, bottle of tea in one hand and a small bag of _dorayaki_. I tried to calm myself down.

I don't dream much. But when I do, it's a nightmare. All I see is Saisho's charred face _(fire. she smelled of fire.)_ and her sadistic, deranged eyes as she boomed, "_revenge!_". I was so scared to the point of jolting awake.

Although it was barely morning, there were civilians already setting up their stands. I wanted desperately to call one of my teammates, even Hamu, but I decided not to. I wasn't going to go through the trouble of sneaking into a clan compound with morning breath and frizzy hair.

Missions returned. Mostly they were D-ranked and involved us pulling out weeds and shoveling manure. I preferred being face first in stinky horse poop than being on the brink of death, dodging sharp objects and struggling to control my loss of blood.

_Don't think about it_, I told myself. _Just run_.

Running helped me get the bad memories out my head and helped me train at the same time. Discarding my bag of sweets and liquid, I stretched my limbs and cracked my neck as I began running.

* * *

To my surprise, by the time I finished running my laps, I saw a flicker and a silhouette. I abruptly stopped moving, limbs frozen as I squinted. Who was there?

_A snicker. _

My heart jolted in my throat as I was paralyzed with fear once more. Only this time, it was reality - not a dream. _Or was it? _I didn't have the skill to decipher what was real and what was a fabrication of my brain.

I bit my lip hard, jolting me out my temporary paralyzation and my hand snapped to my bag. I always carried a few kunais there, after the whole Saisho vs me fiasco. I swiftly slipped my finger in there blindly and grabbed my kunai, nipping my finger in the process. I winced as I felt a small drop of blood trickle down my index finger, but I quickly disregarded it as I saw a rustle in the bushes.

I slinked to my knees, my eyes squinting as I tried to identify the figure. Friend or foe?

"Ichigo!" My wrist snapped as I released the kunai almost instinctively. Of course, I missed terribly, and the figure dodged easily.

"It's me, Ibo!" Ibo quickly assured, clapping his hands down my shoulders to immobilize me. I froze up, peering at him.

"Oh! Ibo! What are you doing here?" I inquired.

Ibo released me and rubbed his head, smiling.

"Well… y'see, the Hokage summoned us - "

"Hm? Why?" I was curious. Why would the _Hokage _summon _us? _We weren't really a particularly _strong_ team or renowned; our sensei wasn't that popular, Ibo wasn't a prodigy of the Yamanaka clan (and was overshadowed by Ino and his cousin, Yamanaka Shiro) and Hamu was born to a 'dirty', informal, wild clan who used rats in battle - then there was a nobody civilian girl born to a tea-brewing family.

Yeah. We weren't exactly _stars_.

"A mission," Ibo gushed, sounding excited. "It's another C-rank!"

My blood ran cold and I felt myself clam up. My throat felt awfully dry and my knees buckled. I wanted to puke. I felt bile rise in my throat and I couldn't move.

_No no non on ono n on onon on on ono no non on on NO_

"Ichigo? Are you OK?" I heard a concerned Ibo. His azure eyes searched mine, peering at me.

… _**estowfilm … m' not supposed to be here… **_

I blinked owlishly before turning to him.

_**I'm not supposed to be here. I belong in - **_

I plastered a smile on my face. "I'm fine."

* * *

I walked shakily to the Hokage Tower with Ibo. My mind was whirring with questions. Another mission? C-rank? Would I survive this time, or would I die like another fodder Genin in a mission gone wrong? How would I die? From a kunai to the neck or a crash of the skull?

I shivered as I ran over the methods of my death. I was _scared. _

I was yanked out of my thoughts when I collided with a force. I plopped to the floor and blinked, realizing the 'force' was Hamu.

"Watch where you're going, Ichigo," Hamu growled. Nonetheless, he was on the floor, nursing a hurt elbow.

I couldn't help myself. I snickered at Hamu's poor attempt to growl off his pain.

"Hurry up," Ibo said. "I'm too impatient. I want to know the mission details," Ibo exclaimed.

"Already found them out," Hamu smirked. I realized he had rushed out of the Hokage's office.

"So? Spill," I demanded impatiently as I picked myself off the floor.

Hamu knitted his eyebrows together seriously. His smirk wiped off his lips and was replaced with a weighty frown.

"Well," He said, rubbing his thumbs in thought, "it's an undercover mission. We are to act as if we were not shinobi. We'll be travelling in Sakanagakure. We'll be travelling as undercover civilians; we're all civilians from Tonika Village.

"Who are we targeting?" Ibo asked sharply.

Hamu grimaced, making me even more nervous. "Ah. We're targeting a man by the name of _Buta Don'yoku_. Apparently he's some big shot there who's rich as hell." He shrugged. "Our client wants us to extract secrets from him; apparently, he owes them money and he refused to give it to them. He wants us to infiltrate and extract intel from him then kill him. Also, allegedly, our client believes he's been sticking his nose in some recent illegal activity." Hamu shrugged again.

I breathed in sharply, rubbing the corners of my mouth nervously in habit. _Killing_.

"Is Yasa-sensei going to be with us?"

"Yeah," Hamu replied. "Anyways, I need to address the biggest part of the mission."

I noticed Hamu's face wasn't wrinkled into a grimace, scowl, sneer, or smirk. He looked serious and… _slightly sympathetic. _My stomach churned as I waited for his news with baited breath. _What was going on? _

"Spit it out," Ibo demanded. He was impatient, as well.

Hamu wrinkled his eyebrows, looking down at his bandaged fingers. With a sigh, he looked up and stared at me in the eye.

"This is a seduction mission as well. Ichigo - you're going _to have to sleep with our target_."

* * *

_Confession #1:_ **I wasn't a virgin at death. The first time I had sex with someone, I was at my prom. That was the days when I was desperate for a boyfriend; I had acne in high school and I was undesirable. The night I lost my virginity, I was slightly drunk and the scent of whiskey, vodka, tequila, and weed wafted through the air. The boy - his name started with an R. He had thick eyebrows and full lips and his hands lingered over my body and it wasn't as good or magical as I thought, but I still pretended to moan and I faked my orgasm and gave him a kiss. On the last day of school, he gave me a peck on the lips and suddenly I was feeling nostalgic. I felt as though I could still taste the liquor on his lips from the night we had sex. I gave him a smile, said I'll miss you, then walked away. **

* * *

I didn't feel sadness anymore. I felt anger. I felt _**FURY **_surged through me, igniting in the pits of my stomach like a flame. I felt my fingers tremble and my eyebrows twitch uncontrollably as I felt like punching through walls and cracking glass.

"Ichi - "

I shoved past them, my ears on fire, not caring about manners or respect or _ANYTHING _\- i coulDN'T HEAR ANYThing I was so goddamn pissed.

_I, at the age of thirteen fucking years old, had to sleep with a wrinkly old man for the sake of this shitty ass flawed village? Yeah, right! _

This wasn't okay. How was this _legal_? I didn't even get my _period _yet. What if I was _pregnant_?

I heard footsteps behind me and the scent of cigarettes increased, making me want to throw up, but I tried ignoring the bile rising in my throat as I stomped through, my feet on fire.

I burst through a room, feeling my limbs shaking and my hitai-ate _clinking _against my abdomen.

I saw a Chuunin - Iruka? - and others with a pile of papers, presumably mission requests. Then there was the Hokage. He was garnished in red and white silk robes and a crimson and pasty white hat perched on his balding, thinning white hair. He wrinkled his nose when he saw me, lifting his hand up to stop the ANBU guards from charging.

I couldn't stop the word vomit from spewing out my mouth.

"_How dare you assign me to a seduction mission?" _

I felt the fire grow more. I wanted to trash his office. Why was _I _to go on the seduction mission? The thought of doing any seducing with a powdery old man made bile rise in my throat and I curled my fist as I stared defiantly at the old man.

His eyes met mine and he curled his fingers around his pipe, slipping it out his mouth and sighed. Rubbing his face, he began. "Ocha Ichigo, correct? You must understand - "

"_**What I DO understand is that you're sending a fourteen year old girl, who's barely gone through puberty, on a sex mission where I'd have to use my body for intel for this fucking - "**_

A kunai hit the door behind me and my heart thundered as I gasped, feeling snips of hair fall down and a small sting in my earlobe. I realized that Sarutobi had stood up, took a kunai out his pocket, and threw it near my ear, narrowly missing me.

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Hold your tongue, girl," He said lowly, threat underlying his tone. I felt fear circulate throughout me, and I realized what had happened.

_Did I just say that to the fucking Hokage? _Anger had taken over me and possessed me. This was a fucking kage. I was scared of a lowly Chuunin? Imagine a _kage,_ the God of Shinobi.

My anger was still there, but it dwindled down as I realized blood was on my fingers from the nip of my ear from the kunai.

I swallowed thickly, struggling to contain the tears, and nodded at Hiruzen stonily.

"I apologize f-for my behavior, H-Hokage-sama," I murmured, bowing. "Please forgive me."

Hiruzen sighed once more and sat down in his seat. I took the time to take in my surroundings, and blinked when I saw a familiar figure.

There, in a slumped position and ruffled soft hair with pale, flushed skin was Yasa-sensei, looking embarrassed and disappointed at me.

Had I been so angry that I didn't see my own sensei?

"I apologize for my student's rash behavior," Yasa addressed the Hokage with a high level of respect. Sarutobi rubbed his face and shifted through a few papers, ignoring us again.

I lowered my gaze.

Yasa walked over to me, pinched the back of my neck, and dragged me out the Hokage's office.

"This is going to be a long mission," He wheezed.

_Indeed_.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I know some of you may feel uncomfortable w/ Ichigo being forced to complete this seduction mission. It's been speculated in fanfiction that kunoichi do undergo these missions. I'm not going to say anything for fear of spoiling some stuff in the future, but sit tight.

Another thing. The Hokage was NOT being sexist when he was saying, "hold your tongue girl". It's not as if to say : "you're a woman and I'm a man therefore you shouldn't speak your mind" it's like "I'm far more superior than you, you child genin so shut the hell up my opinion is superior to yours".something like that. I hope it's not interpreted that way!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please read and review!


	17. 花 (FLOWER)

**EDIT: 4-1-15: **_I've received criticism towards my last chapter. A few points were made: - the seduction mission and how she wasnt trained enough, length of chapters, and personality of my SI OC. _

**_\- seduction mission:_**_ Many readers have questioned the military reasoning and point of view for this. As one of my reviewers have said, she's a "fresh little Genin who did not receive little to no training in seducing." However, Ichigo DID receive training. If you look back to the first arc, she did have to endure the, in her personal opinion, sickeningly disgusting Kunoichi Classes which drilled into her head to be sexy, how to seduce, how to poison a man based on flowers, etc. Also, while I agree this is a flaw on my part, a lot of time has past since Academy. Despite the fact that it's been only 17 chapters, it hasn't been 2 months since the Academy. The Chuunin Exam (for Kiri) entry has passed; she's been on several D-rank missions and training before the Saisho mission in this arc (behind the scenes training), then after there was recuperating time, then training, then more BTS training and missions, and finally the seduction mission. I have not chosen an estimated time period because I believed it wouldn't have been relevant to the plot, but I would most likely give it half a year. Also, seeing how in the Narutoverse, they allowed 12 yr old Genin to particpate in fatal exams to be promoted, seal chakra-filled powerful demons into 3 hours. old babies, and more ridiculous stuff to children, I'm certain this isn't so farfetched. _

* * *

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(Arc II: Missions arc)**_

**Chapter Seventeen: ****花 ****(FLOWER)**

* * *

"Another mission, Ichigo-chan? You've been working hard,"

I snapped my head up. My grandmother was peering into my room, wrinkling her nose at the mess. She smelled of rice flour and red bean paste.

She wrung her hands as she strode into my room.

"_Obaachan_," I said, grinning, "Oh! I haven't seen you all day!"

My grandmother ducked her head.

"We were working hard at the teahouse. A lot of customers. Where were _you_?"

I scratched my head nervously.

"Ah. Training. Mission briefing. Things like that." I waved my hands dismissively.

My grandmother pursed her lips.

"Ever since you became a mission - no, went on _that mission_, you've been busier and busier. What's going on, Ichigo-chan?"

I ducked my head this time. I licked my lips as I avoided her gaze.

"Nothing, obaachan. I'm just trying to grow stronger and stronger."

"Well, what's this mission about, now? How long will you be gone?"

I rubbed my lips as I sunk further into my bed. Thumbing my kunai resting in my lap, I took a shaky breath. Remembering my disgusting, insulting mission, I met her gaze.

"I believe it'll be a week long mission. Perhaps two weeks," I answered.

"I don't know too much about this ninja business," My grandmother began, narrowing her eyes. "But I _do_ know that two weeks is much too long for a _Genin_. What rank is this?"

_It's C-Rank. This is the shinobi society, where sex missions are ranked lower than killing missions, despite the fact that being forced to give your virginity away - essentitally killing your dignity and pride is the same as killing someone. _

I didn't say that. Instead, I ran my thumb along my kunai handle and sighed.

"C-rank. It's not that big. Infiltration," I said shortly. "Sorry, obaachan. I've gotta go on my mission. Please pack me some peppermint tea."

I slipped out of bed, wiggled on my sandals, and pecked her cheek. She stood there, frozen.

My heart thundered as I passed by her. Time seemed to go by slowly. I peered at her from the corner of my eye, my hand touching the door knob. _Does she know I'm lying? She's extremely perceptive. She knows. She __**knows I'm lying. **_

To my relief, she touched my shoulder as she walked out.

"Okay, Ichigo-chan. Please be careful. Last time you ended up with two wounded shoulders."

She smiled at me, but even I knew it was hesitant and shaky.

I walked out.

* * *

The thick, heavy stench of rain and river made me want to puke. I rubbed my nose as I threw a discreet glare at Yasa.

"We've been on the move for _days_," Hamu groaned. "When'll we near Sakanagakure?"

"Soon," Yasa replied.

"I have a question," I interjected. "How the hell will we pull this family shit off? I know Sakanagakure is a civilian village and they don't have experience with shinobi, but like… Hamu has _yellow eyes and bandages all over his hands. _How'll we pull this off?"

Yasa sighed, then turned to us. For some reason today, he was irritable.

"The plan is: you're _shinobi_. You all should know a henge or genjutsu or two."

I raised my hand, pausing to adjust the strap on my navy blue sandal. "I, to clarify, do _not _have any simple, basic genjutsu skills. It is literally impossible for me to perform or disrupt a genjutsu. Just thought to clarify."

Yasa paused, turned to me, and sighed.

"Oh yeah," He remembered gloomily.

He whirled around and continued on walking. I grumbled and rose, following after my team.

"However, lucky for you, Ichigo, Hamu's the only one with weird eyes. A simple genjutsu will fix that. Anyways, most, if not _all_ the villagers are civilians."

I sniffed. "Well, whatever. How long are we staying?"

"A few days, a week at most." Yasa's expression grew serious and he turned to me again. "These missions - games of flirtation should only take a few days, you know?"

The harsh, cold reminder that I'd have to seduce and have sex with an old, greedy pig made me want to throw up. I said nothing, and instead picked up my pace. I felt disgusted again.

_would I have to experience grabby hands? or this time, it would be dry, wrinkled hands gripping my butt, disgusting dirty kisses that reeked of liquor - - _

"We're here," Ibo said quietly. He quickly unwrapped his hitai-ate from his forehead and slipped it into his pocket. He crouched down to the soil - fresh and moist from earlier showers - and dipped his finger in the moist soil. Rubbing it on his skin, he turned to us and nodded.

"Ah! Got it!" Hamu realized, and dropped to his knees. Rolling around in the mud like a dog, he gave us a feral grin. I raised an eyebrow.

"It'd be best if we blended into the environment. It's time to adopt our persona now. Dirty, poor civilians," Yasa explained expertly. He rubbed his hand into the damp soil and applied it to his cheeks, dabbing it gingerly on his face.

I bent down to copy the movement, but Yasa blocked my path with his legs.

"Not you, Ichigo-chan," Yasa said. "Don'yoku likes dainty women who are delicate."

I sucked my teeth.

"Whatever," I said, throwing my bag over my shoulder. I untied my hitai-ate, slipped it into my bag, and dabbed a few globs of mud onto my shirt.

"There. My skin isn't dirty, but my clothes are."

I unzipped my bag, rummaging through it. My hitai-ate that I had just taken off was in there, along with some tea, water, a white small packet of sugar, soldier pills, food pills, weapons, and finally, a drug in a concealed packet, visually similar to my sugar pack. Yasa advised us to bring some drugs - most likely to drug anyone that would be coming in our path. As far as I know, Don'yoku owned a few fish-centric establishments.

After the boys finished dirtying up, we continued onward to Sakanagakure.

* * *

I begrudgingly accepted that Sakanagare was a _phenomenal _village. It was splashed with multiple colors. Although it smelled of fish, there were multiple stands from civilians selling fish masks, fried fish and calamari, raw fish, _everything_. I stared in wonder as a civilian bumped into me, booming, "_get 'yer discounted fish bundle!" _

It was like a rainbow threw up on this village.

The smell of fried, grilled, steamed and _boiled _fish made my mouth water and my stomach moan in agony. I wanted _food,_ and cold rice balls and food pills wasn't going to cut it.

I took a glance at my teammates, and they seemed entranced by the scent of cooked fish.

"Yasa-sensei," I said, swallowing my drool before it slipped out my mouth, "can we go eat? Maybe we can gather intel at a restaurant?"

Yasa blinked at my faulty, flawed logical reasoning but nodded.

"I suppose so. However, _you're _paying."

* * *

I stuffed my mouth with _yakizakana_. I couldn't pause to breathe as I satisfied my stomach with deliciously seasoned grilled fish with a side of rice balls and soy sauce.

Hamu was feeding his rats with cheese to my disgust and Yasa was leaned against the booth, sighing as he rubbed his mouth.

"Now that we've eaten, can we gather our intel?"

Hamu gulped down his green tea before answering.

"I've already got that covered, Yasa-sensei. After I'm finished eating, I'm going to send out my rats."

"I'll also be gathering information after this meal," Ibo replied pleasantly. "I've decided to go near women and ask if they know about Buta Don'yoku and if he's hiring."

"No need," Yasa said. "Don'yoku owns this restaurant."

I propped on my head on my hand, my elbow resting on the table.

"Convenient," I grumbled. "In that case, I'm not paying a nickle for this pig."

"Actually, Ichigo-chan," Yasa said, "that's a perfect situation."

He raised his hands. I quirked an eyebrow, curious on what he was planning.

Within a minute, the young waitress zipped to Yasa.

"Yes, sir?" She inquiried.

"I'm afraid we have a problem," Yasa said, adopting a frown. "I… y'see… my family cannot afford this meal."

The young waitress's chirpy, beaming grin faded and was replaced by a scowl.

"That _is _a problem, isn't it?" She jibed. "Pay up for the lavish meal you were served or else risk a _bigger _problem."

_Was Yasa…? _

"May I see the manager or owner of this fine establishment? I believe I may be able to work around this!" Yasa replied smoothly, a hidden anger and 'fear' underlying his tone.

"I doubt you'd be able to work around this payment issue with Don'yoku-_sama_. I mean, he's intelligent and you won't be able to manipulate him - "

_Yasa, don't you - _

Yasa rose, his height threatened. Slamming his fist on the table and causing the cups to rise and fall, he glowered at her.

"These prices are outrageous, anyways! I demand to see your supervisor - no, I demand to see this Don'yoku_-san_ that you speak of!"

Without another comment, although Yasa earned an acid-soaked glare, the waitress sniffed at him and whirled around. She made a motioning gesture and Yasa threw me a wink as he followed her.

We had no choice but to follow Yasa - and meet my impending doom.

* * *

The smell of boiling water, salt, and raw fish grew stronger as we neared the back. Thankfully, it lessened as we walked farther from the kitchens and to a back office. The name _**Buta Don'yoku **_was etched onto a golden plate, nailed onto the black double doors.

The waitress knocked on the door twice. I heard a gruff noise, and she opened the doors.

"Don'yoku-sama," She greeted, waving at him. "We have a problem!"

"Chiyoko-chan." The chair swiveled to reveal a sixty-something year old man with light brown hair and a rough beard. His eyes were wide and leering as he stared at all of us individually, making me squirm.

He averted his gaze from us and stared at 'Chiyoko', staring at her from her bare legs to her shirt.

_He probably has a fling with her, _I thought, noticing the way she blushed at his gaze and the way he licked his lips hungrily.

I wanted to throw up.

"Please leave us, Chiyoko-chan," He ordered. She nodded, threw Yasa a glare, and waltzed out.

"Don'yoku-sama," Yasa said, launching into his acting role immediately, "my family and I… we're poor fishermen from the Tonika Village. We've decided to move to Sakanagakure due to the high economy. We're very poor. Please have mercy on us - we cannot afford the lavish, delicious meal that you've prepared for us - _please if there's anything we can do…_"

I tried not to stare at Yasa. Although not ripped with muscles and booms with a loud voice, he wasn't weak. He wasn't Kakashi or Gai's level at strength, but I've seen him spar before, and it made me stomach churn and made me green as I realized he could snap my neck in a milisecond without second thoughts. And here he was, acting as a poor, submissive man, begging on his knees to a weak, albeit rich, civilian.

Don'yoku was silent, curling his finger around his beard contemplatively.

"I see," He finally said after a long moment. "There's not much you can do. However…"

_oh God. Oh God. He's taking the bait… he's taking the bait… _

"I've recently suffered a huge loss in workers to fish at the nearby river. If you can offer your two boys to fish for me -"

Relief poured into me. He didn't need me; I wouldn't need to seduce him.

"Thank you, Don'yoku-sama. Thank you for being merciful…"

"-however, I also want your only daughter."

I froze up, feeling puke rise in my throat. I wanted to double over and retch out the food I ate. _He is disgusting… _

"She cannot… she's very delicate and dainty, Don'yoku-sama. She… she -"

"She can sleep in the bed with me," Don'yoku affirmed.

I widened my eyes.

… _how? _

First, it was a lie. I was _not _dainty nor delicate. I was keeping up a henge to smother my growing muscles (I was running and training daily. Of course I'd be growing muscles!). I didn't look like the dark skinned, blue eyed girl I looked back at in the reflection. I instead resembled a green eyed freckled olive-skinned civilian with soft hands, moisturized skin and lips, and short black hair.

"Thank you Don'yoku-sama. You are very merciful!" Yasa gushed. "May I say goodbye to my children?"

"No," Don'yoku sneered, rising from his chair. "In fact, I just decided to give them a tour of my mansion."

_God, I can't wait till Yasa-sensei or Hamu and Ibo kill you later, _I thought maliciously as he placed a large hand on my shoulder, massaging it suggestively. I felt like puking. I felt disgusting. I felt like -

"Come now. What is your name, girl?"

"Hana," I lied, avoiding his gaze. Realistically, it appeared as if I were shy, which probably turned him on. However, I was literally so disgusted that I couldn't even meet his gaze. His black beady eyes would haunt me at night.

Despite my best efforts, his fingers grazed my chin and he forced me to look up.

"Beautiful," He murmured under my breath.

_I thank God he cannot see my true appearance. I wouldn't feel disgusted when I look in the mirror, thinking of his 'compliment.' _

"T-thank you, Don'yoku-sama," I merely responded. He clapped his hands over my shoulder and glanced at Hamu and Ibo.

"My servants will lead you to the mansion and give you a tour," He said. "I must take my flower home and give her a personal tour. It's courtsey."

I felt a chill travel down my spine and all I wanted was to grab his sweaty ass hand and twist it, holding him hostage while my team attacks him -

… _stop. You're gonna blow your cover. Remember what the Kunoichi Classes taught you. _

_**Be sexy and seductive, push your boobs out and sway your hips, wear flattering perfume and let your cool fingertips linger on your target, bite your lip and twirl your hair - **_

"A-Arigatou, Don'yoku-sama. Thank you for your kindness and mercy."

Don'yoku gave me a cheeky grin, baring his teeth as if he were an animal. I pushed down the urge to puke and reciprocated the gesture.

"Goodbye father. Goodbye brothers." I said, waving to them as I walked with Don'yoku out the office, and out the establishment. Soon, I would be walking to my doom and strip of final innocence and childhood.

* * *

_**花 ****(FLOWER)**_

**ˈflou(ə)r/ : **

**the finest individuals out of a number of people or things.**

* * *

I begrudgingly admitted that Don'yoku's house _was _magnificent. It was more like a mansion. It was splashed with an elegant shade of cream white. There were two rivers running down the side of each compound and a few maids bustling around, picking weeds and cleaning fishing rods.

Two burly men waltzed up to Don'yoku, glaring at me suspiciously.

"This is my new plaything," Don'yoku said dismissively.

I fought the urge to cringe and yell at him. _Plaything? As if I'm a little toy? As if!_

Don'yoku touched my shoulder.

"Hana-chan, these are my shinobi guards. They're retired from their village but serve me as a mercenary."

I nodded curiously, giving them a onceover. One of them, the biggest, had bulging muscles, dumb brown eyes, and a thin scar running through his cheek like a tiger. The second one had long brown hair, thick lips, and olive skin.

_Is this even legal? _I thought curiously. _Better check in with Yasa after this is done and over. I just need a few days…_

I gave them an unsure smile.

"Nice to meet you," I said, waving hesitantly. As Don'yoku led me away, I remembered some of the kunoichi classes' tips.

_**Be sure to put more weight on your foot. Only trained shinobi and kunoichi have the swiftness, grace, and elegance to be completely soundless in your steps. This is a huge giveaway that you are undercover.**_

Don'yoku led me throughout his large house. He wasn't rich enough to be worth as much as a daimyo, but he was pretty well off. He led me finally to the master bedrooms.

"This is where you'll sleep. With me," Don'yoku whispered in my ear. I glanced around the room. It was also magnificent. There were - presumably - expensive authentic swords lying in a case pinned to the wall. Four faux samurai armor, _kote _and _kusari _were encased in a glass.

"Don'yoku-sama. Do you always bring home girls the second you meet them?" I inquired innocently.

_**Smack!**_

To my utter surprise, I felt a sting on my right cheek. _Did this… did this pig just slap me?_

I stared up at Don'yoku, confusion written on my face. How did I not see that slap coming? Why the fuck did he slap me?

"You will treat me with utter respect, Hana-chan," Don'yoku murmured lowly. "You will not pester me with pointless, irrelevant questions. Do you understand me?"

My fingers twitched as they ached for a kunai. How _dare _this greedy little pond scum smack me, who was posing as a helpless fourteen year old girl. How dare he take advantage of my apparent lack of strength to assert his dominance, and how _dare _he treat _me _like I'm _inferior _to him!

My nostrils flared as pure fury poured into me. I felt the room grow chilly, and I realized I was leaking killing intent.

I tried to grab the reins of my temper. I needed to work on that. _Since when have I grown so malicious?_

… _**since you've realized what pigs men are.**_

"I'm sorry, Don'yoku-sama," I whispered.

Switching his moods like a light switch, Don'yoku flashed me a toothy smile. "That's quite alright, Hana-chan. Come, you must be filthy. I'll have my maids prepare you an outfit. It's darkening outside and you must be sleepy."

I didn't bother disagreeing with him. I instead nodded and whirled around, walking towards the room-I-assumed-was-a-bathroom.

Assured that I was alone and that pig wouldn't peak, I unwrapped my filthy kimono and undid my henge.

I stared at myself in the mirror, big cerulean eyes peering back at me. It was so odd how in this world I had the ability to switch back and forth in appearances. It would've been extremely helpful in my old life, especially during middle school, where I was extremely insecured and just wished for a new face.

Licking my lips, I filled the tub with hot water and dipped inside, feeling the warmth engulf me. I felt dirty, and not physically. _Am I really bathing in an old man's tub? What's wrong with me? I don't want to do this. I don't want to do this. I can't do this. I'm only thirteen…_

Or am I?

Have I been so immersed in this world that I forgot my _true _age? Technically, I wasn't thirteen. When I died, I was nineteen. If I hadn't died, I would've been thirty two.

_Thirty fucking two. _That was so odd. Perhaps by then I would've probably graduated optometry school and scored myself a job at LensCrafters. That was my dream life. But now I was learning how to kill and seduce a man so he can whisper to me his secrets at night. I was training how to grow stronger so I could _**kill more kill more **_and survive in this harsh world. I do not want this. I do not _want _to fuck this old withering old man who probably smells like fish and ink and dried papaya. I do not want to touch his skin and pretend to moan for the sake of a fucking village who probably doesn't give a damn about me and only cares about the strongest ninja, which I am not. I do not want to go home feeling dirty and giving my family a smile and pretend everything is normal. _I cannot do that because I'll be giving my virginity away in a few hours to an aging man who owns a fish restaurant for the sake of a client who's too cowardly to confront the damn man himself._ He's too scared to tell him that he's doing illegal stuff, like hiring ninjas to work for him and -

_Wait a minute._

Flashes back to my old mission gone wrong had me thinking. Aki had said that a group of ninjas were after him due to his father not paying a debt with a business partner. Aki never specified any names. Why was I worrying about this, anyways? That mission was nearly a year ago, but with all my training and missions I haven't kept track of time. And anyways, that mission was completed, it was finished, it did not concern me.

With a sigh, I wrapped a towel around my body, stuck my fingers into the appropriate seal, and muttered under my breath "_**Henge!"**_

I nodded at myself. Placing my fingers on the doorknob, I breathed in. _Time to learn a few secrets of my own._

* * *

The day went by dully. I had little to no contact with Ibo or Hamu, causing me to worry endlessly about them. I wore a smooth kimono laid out on the bed when I exited the shower, ate a simple dinner with Don'yoku and his servants, (green tea and sushi with a side of boiled fish, which I didn't touch, and surprisingly, neither did Don'yoku. It looked too raw for my liking.) and walked with him upstairs.

"Don'yoku-sama," I began, wringing my hands, "pardon me, but what'll I do? I mean, how long will I be your… 'plaything'? Will you let me work?"

Don'yoku paused, giving me a hard stare.

"Ah, Hana-chan, you must've misunderstood." He gave me a dirty smile. "You are _my _plaything, and until I get tired of you, you will _remain _my plaything. You will not work. I do not want my toy to have rough, wrinkled hands and do a man's job."

I wrinkled my nose, unable to conceal my distaste at his blatant sexism and misogyny.

"Ah… Don'yoku-sama, what about kunoichi?"

Don'yoku slipped inside his lavish bed, laughing jollily.

"Kunoichi? Why, I barely see them as women! Women are not supposed to be rough, malicious or sadistic. They're supposed to be beautiful, gorgeous flowers - sort of like you, Hana-chan. Now, enough talking." He patted the position next to him, inviting me over.

I swallowed thickly, my fingers trembling.

_I don't want to do this I don't want to do this I CAN'T DO THIS_

_**I have a mission to complete. I must complete this mission. I have a priority. Get information, then I can kill him. As soon as I receive sufficient information, I can signal to Hamu, Ibo, and Yasa-sensei to kill this son of a bitch.**_

I felt my feet grow cold as I moved closer to him, feeling sick at the sign of pleasure on his face that I was obeying him. Was this what he wanted? His _little flower being good?_

Oh, God. What a damn creep.

I'm a Genin. Why are they ranking sex missions lower than escorting Kages and important figures? Why are they assigned to Genin?

"Don'yoku-sama," I said as I sat at the edge of the bed, running my fingers through the kimono, "before my family and I entered this village… we heard some rumors about you."

"Most of them are true!" Don'yoku snickered. "What have you heard?"

I twirled a lock of hair around my finger. "Well - that you've done _illegal _things."

Don'yoku put down his cup of liquor.

"Ah. Well. I hate lying, especially to my flowers, so I'm not going to lie - I'm going to be a man and confess. I _have _done illegal things, but haven't we all?"

"You've… killed someone?" I whispered enticingly.

Don'yoku stared up at the ceilings, crossing his ankles and uncrossing them.

"I suppose it's best to be honest, eh, Hana-chan?" He said. "Well. No. I've never killed someone. But…" He looked around nervously, then abruptly gripped my wrists together, causing a chill to shiver down my spine.

"Well. I've - I've done some deals. And ordered deaths. It makes me feel _exciting_. I have the power to kill someone just because of my money. It makes me feel like a _deity__. _It makes me feel powerful."

My eyes widened as he peered into my faux green ones.

"Yes, it's true, Hana-chan - oh, don't act so innocent! You may be a simple poor civvie, but you _have _heard of shinobi, right? Well, anyways, I've stolen money from people by cheating them through deals, trafficked drugs, I've been on a _power high._"

"Why, Don'yoku-sama?" I said suddenly. "Why have you been doing these illegal things? All you do is own a fish restaurant in a fish village!"

"I came from a poor family," He began. "It made me strive to become rich. If I had to go down 'n' dirty, then so be it. You must understand, right? You're poor, too. But soon, with my help, you'll be rich."

I licked my lips.

"Don'yoku-sama," I said, trying not to puke as my fingers traced his, "who have you… have you cheated? If it's a shinobi from a hidden village, you can be killed - I'm concerned for you - "

Don'yoku waved his free hand dismissively.

"Oh, don't worry! I've got two retired shinobi guards with me. I'm just waiting on a deal with this man, Gato, and I'll be set. I'll have more money than _you've _dreamed of! Of course, this'll pay up for the loss I've received from losing a deal from this cheap ass businessman - he owns the Nakamura Corp., ever heard of him?"

My blood ran cold. My luck was a joke. My missions were all connected. Gato, from the Land of the Waves; Nakamura and his son, and now Don'yoku. So far, Gato and Don'yoku were 'close', or at least trusted business partners and Don'yoku called the abduction for Aki.

The thought of this made me furious again.

_This greedy fucking pig caused me to injure my shoulders, barely escape death, and become traumatized all because he didn't want to lose a deal? I went up against a fucking Chuunin, just so he would get his precious fucking money?_

I plastered a smile on my face.

"Don'yoku-sama," I said, reaching over him and grabbing his drink from his hands, my fingers hesitating to linger onto his. "Allow me to serve you another shot of liquor. Perhaps then we'll sleep - or _something_."

_Remember the kunoichi class, remember the kunoichi class..._

Don'yoku flushed, most likely from the liquor.

"Ah, if you insist. What an obedient little flower, Hana-chan!" He gushed. "If you insist."

I nodded and slipped out of his bed, maneuvering out his room and to the kitchens.

It was dark. I felt the eerie sensation of eyes boring into my back. Shrugging off my suspicions and paranoia, I rummaged for the light switch or candle to light a fire for vision, but the light suddenly switched on.

My heart hammered and I froze up.

There, in the dead of night, was the burly retired-shinobi guard, sitting on top of the counter like a monkey.

"What're you doing at this time, Hana?" Asked the shinobi guard. It was the huge one with the scar. I swallowed thickly, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Don'yoku-sama requested for a drink," I replied. "Whiskey."

He grunted. My heart thudded loudly as I brushed past him. My hands felt clammy as I rummaged through the cabinets, looking for a bottle of the brown liquid. To my pleasure, I found it quickly. I still felt his eyes burn into my back like lasers.

How was I going to lace Don'yoku's drink if his guard was staring at me like a hawk? He must've suspected me; a young girl who's 'new' to the village pops out of nowhere and is Don'yoku's next toy? Don'yoku had a lot of enemies. Most likely, this guard didn't trust me.

I felt my pulse quicken as I shakily poured his drink. _I had to make this guard leave, _I thought. _How? A distraction, perhaps?_

My eyes darted to the glass. Licking my lips, I purposely flicked my wrists. To my delight, the cup slid off the recently polished counter and crashed to the floor.

"Oh no," I grumbled. "I-I'm so sorry, shinobi-_sama_! Please forgive me!" I bent down to pick up the broken shards of glass.

_He's still not leaving, _I realized.

Suddenly, and to my luck, a brown rat scampered across the floor, peering up at me, then scurried away without preamble. A gasp escape my lips, and I let out a scream.

"A rat! A rat! _Kill it, please! _I'm so - I'm so _scared _of rats!" I shrieked cowardly, pointing at the floor wildly. The former shinobi leaped off his position.

"Where is it?" He demanded. "Don'yoku-sama hates rats!"

"I… I think it disappeared - somewhere…"

I pointed randomly in another direction, and the ex-shinobi scuttled away.

Without wasting time, my fingers swept to my pocket and I pulled out a small, thin packet. Ripping it open, I grabbed another glass and tipped the small drug into the cup. Satisfied with my work, I poured a cup of whiskey into the laced cup, watching the powder dissolve into the brown liquid.

I grabbed the cup and ran upstairs to where Don'yoku was waiting.

"Here you go," I purred. "I apologize it took long. There was a slight… delay."

"I understand, Hana-chan, but don't let it happen again." He warned, grabbing the glass from my hands and taking a shot. He squeezed his eyes shut and settled back into his bed.

"This whiskey is rather sweet - perhaps it is too old? Come, Hana-chan. Let us sit. I must ask you a question. Are you deflowered?"

I cringed at his question. _Deflowered? Are you…? _I quickly made sure his room doors and windows were locked before prowling over to him.

"No, I'm not," I admitted. "Don'yoku-sama. That deal you made with Nakamura Corporations. Did you… by chance… send any shinobi and kunoichi after Nakamura-san's son, Nakamura Aki?"

Don'yoku sniffled and belched crudely before answering me.

"I… I don't quite remember! But I suppose I have. I think one was from the Land of Hot Springs. She disappeared, though. Bitch probably was too scared to finish the job."

_Saisho._

Her face flashed in my mind, making me want to puke again. _**hercharredfacesnarledoutmeanddemandedforrevenge…**_

"And Gato… what was his last deal?"

"Hana-chan, why are you asking me this? Is this some sort of interrogation?" He snickered at his own joke and rubbed my arm.

"I… I don't remember. But last time we talked, he mentioned - _hiccup! _\- that he was going to - _hiccup! _\- the Land of Sea… or was it Water? Maybe Ocean? I forgot. Something to do with water." He hiccuped again then rubbed his mustache.

"Enough with the questions, Hana-chan." He smirked at me, rising from his lazy position. "I've been holding myself for you ever since I laid eyes on you, My Beautiful Luscious Flower. I will be the one to deflower you."

_Why the hell wasn't the drug working? _I questioned furiously. I desperately dug my fingers into my pocket. Where the hell…? Did I somehow mix up the drugs with something else?

I got my answer when my fingers wrapped around an identical white pocket. Instead of being label-less, it had the words etched onto it: _SUGAR._

_**Did I add sugar into Don'yoku's whiskey instead of the drugs meant to knock him out?**_

Fuck. Did I fuck up this mission? By now, Hamu's rats have disappeared any the shinobi guards will be off doing their rounds. Where was Yasa? Ibo? Hamu? _What did I fucking do?_

I had to do something.

I had no weapons on me right now. I couldn't fight him. It'd make too much noise.

All I could do was rely on strength, hope, and depend on Ibo and Hamu to realize my predicament.

Wait a minute. Since we entered this village, I've depended on Ibo and Hamu. I've been '_Hamu and Ibo will help me'_ this and '_I can't wait till Ibo and Hamu kill this man'_. Why didn't _I _rely on _myself_? Why was I relying on someone else?

"Hana-chan. Come. We will start."

Don'yoku, to my horror, started unwrapping his robe, exposing his chest.

"No," I murmured.

"What was that, Hana-chan?" Don'yoku hiccuped, clearly drunk. "I _told _you to come. We will start."

"And _I _told _you _**no**!" I hissed, scrambling off the bed and crossing my arms. I felt my control of my chakra slip.

"I will _not _be your fucking 'plaything' or your personal sex toy, you sick disgusting bastard! _How __**dare **__you treat me lower than pond scum! _How DARE you prey on young girls half - perhaps even younger - than your age? You can be my _father!_"

I curled my fist, feeling my Henge slip away with a cloud of smoke. My chakra curled around my body, buzzing beneath my skin uncontrollably.

Don'yoku gasped at me in shock.

"Who are you? _Witch!_" He hissed irritably. "You - kunoichi! You… she-demon!"

"You've trashed women since my stay here," I spat at him. "I bet it surprises you that I'm one of those 'manly women'? And _me _doing a 'man's job' - which killing people is universal and is not subjected to one gender - does not make me any less womanly. These old aged gender stereotypes you fiercely believe in and feast on is only a simple construct of your mind, and is _totally _old aged. So do not _dare _look me in the eyes and tell me I'm less womanly."

Anger poured into me looking at Don'yoku's eyes. _He _was the one who forced me to experience the incident with Saisho. He was the one who forced me to stare at death in the eyes. He was the one who made me shed my innocence and would force me to do it twice by giving my virginity to him, a sixty-something old heartless _douche._

With that speech, I lunged at Don'yoku, who stumbled off his feet.

"You think you're the only one with experience, you manly harpy?" He spat. "I too know a thing or two about swords!"

He dashed towards the case of swords and snatched one out its case. Armed with a weapon, Don'yoku charged at me.

"You're unlucky, kunoichi," he snarled. "You see, I've received some - if you'll call it - _illegal _training from a former kenjutsu specialist." He charged at me and I swerved. "He's dead now, so don't bother thinking about who it is!" With that final word, he lunged at me.

I felt chakra pour to my feet and I jumped out the way, clinging to the walls of his room like a cat. I dove at Don'yoku, my feet unfastening to the wall like suction cups, tackling him to the ground with a _thud!_

Don'yoku fumbled with his sword, still not off his drunken state. He coughed and belched and spat at me. With a wrinkle of disgust, I slapped his face. His wrinkled skin turned red.

"Get - off - of - _me!_"

In a final act of desperation, Don'yoku pointed his sword at me a flung it. I ducked down - his civilian, untrained speed and reflexes were no match for even me, a weak genin - and his sword narrowly missed my head.

Wrapping my legs around his waist, I grabbed the sword and pointed it at him.

"No one will ever know," I murmured. "One swipe and I can pretend it was suicide. Yes - you were fallen into a secret, perfectly concealed depression. I, the civilian girl, rejected you and you decided enough was enough…"

"No one's going to believe you, you bitch!" Don'yoku growled lowly, a hint of desperation underlying his voice.

"I beg to differ," I whispered. "I don't believe you forgot, so use that fish brain of yours. I can use Henge. A simple suicide note will cause everyone to believe it. I wonder where that fortune will go? How about your business? Perhaps it'll be taken down and all your money will be given to the right place!"

Don'yoku struggled to get me off him, but my thigh grip was solid.

"Seppuku," I realized. "That's it. Seppuku. It's easy for me."

I traced the tip of the sword with Don'yoku's exposed stomach. Don'yoku gurgled an incoherent sound - perhaps a last ditch for a plea - but I ignored him.

"This is what you get for taking advantage of young, desperate poor girls; for sending experienced shinobi to a young, scared boy. For making these deals and trafficking illegal drugs. For hiring former shinobi who are rogue. _For treating women as inferior little objects!"_

Without another word, I dug the sword deep into his abdomen.

* * *

_**花 ****(FLOWER)**_

**ˈflou(ə)r/ : **

_"My name is Ichigo. And I am not your pretty little 'flower'," _

* * *

**Author's Note: EDIT 4-1-15: This chapter was written before I received any complaints on how boring Ichigo was. So yes, Ichigo was always going to blossom and have her bad ass moment! I just wanted you all to be patient, lol. :))**

This chapter is gory with sexual implication. I really wanted to finally unleash Ichigo's hardly earned badassery, and even though she's not conventionally strong, she's strong with her words and mind (not necessarily saying she's smart). And that's what I love about her!

Just for clarification, _seppuku_ is usually suicide where the person cuts their stomach with a sword, effectively killing themselves. It was originally reserved for samurai but later on non-samurai began to adopt the suicide method.

Anyways, I hope you liked it and understood Ichigo's point she was making about feminism, patriarchy, misogyny, and creepy old men. xoxo!


	18. 死の弧 (ARC OF DEATH)

**Note: Next chapter will be updated on Thursday,, April 16th,, 2015 at 9:55 EST. This chapter is only 1,749k words long and thus, I will be updated it in a few days once again. This will only happen when the chapter is under 2700k words, a new rule I'm enforcing after reading complaints from readers. **

* * *

**苺 ****\- Strawberry **

_**(Arc II: Missions arc)**_

**Chapter Eighteen: ****死の弧 ****(ARC OF DEATH)**

* * *

Confession #2: **When I was younger, I always covered my eyes at horror movies. I absolutely detested anything gory with blood; supernatural, murder/serial killers, all those types of stuff. I hated seeing stabbing, guns, and blood pouring out the victims' bodies. Especially the movie Purge freaked me out, oh God - remember that movie? Where all crime was legal for twenty four hours? Anyways, gore, blood, even human body parts grossed me out. _Huh_. Funny how life turned out. **

* * *

I felt blood splatter into my face as Don'yoku began gurgling. I stared at him as I watched life finally escape him. Opening his mouth, he let out his last puff of breath. And like an old light, he went out.

I stared at his body. Horror sunk in at the realization of what I had done. _I had killed someone. I had fucking killed someone. _

I dug my fingers into my hair, slipping off Don'yoku's body and falling to the ground. I felt like throwing up as I realized that there was **literal blood on my hands **and I had put them in my hair. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to _do something to keep my emotions under fucking control. _

I just took someone's life. I just _stabbed someone. _

Suddenly, a rat crawled across the room, towards me.

I stopped my silent sobs just to peer at it in horror. Was it Hamu's rats? Was it his rats all along?

"Hamu," I whispered. I poked the rat with my toe, and it blinked at me bewildered. I _hoped _it was Hamu's rats.

"Go… go tell Hamu to come - tell him to bring Yasa-sensei or Ibo. Please."

For a moment, I felt dejection as I believe it was a loss cause; the rat simply stared at me. But finally, with - what I think was - a nod, it scurried off.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I stared at my hands, stained with crimson liquid, and I felt like screaming all over again. I just killed someone. I took someone's life. I saw them die. I just killed someone. I just killed someone.

I tried to get my emotion under control. With trembling hands, I brought myself up and stood, my knees wobbling as I peered around for something to write with. I shakily grabbed a scroll and some ink and a brush to write with - apparently, like his views, Don'yoku was very old with his styles.

Licking my suddenly very dry lips nervously, I pushed my fingers together in a series of seals: _Inu, I, hitsuji. _I felt my chakra roll into almost a ball and in a poof of smoke, I felt taller and larger.

I sniffled, rubbing my snot nosed face as I glanced at Don'yoku's lifeless body. My body quivered as I began to write.

_**Dear my servants, **_

_**You may be annoyed at the mess you have to clean up. Hah! Too bad! **_

_**I'm dead by now. I'm committing suicide by seppuku, the most honorable way to die. You may wonder, why? I'm rich, handsome, and **_**rich.** _**However, my valuable flower, Hana, has deserted me. I was prepared to drop everything and go with her, and deflower my dainty petal. She, however, deserted me. She slipped out the balcony and left me astray. I am depressed than I already was - concealing it with money and greediness and important business deals. But now, with no other reason to live, I'm deciding to leave this earth. **_

_**I leave everything to you. **_

_**Sincerely, Don'yoku. **_

* * *

I finished writing and quickly returned back to my appearance. It may have not looked like Don'yoku's handwriting, but combined with exaggerated shaking, it looked messy and incoherent. Teardrops were included as well, although they were genuine.

Suddenly, the door moved. I whipped around, staring at the knob as it turned.

_Shit! Someone's coming! _

Was it Don'yoku's guards?

I scurried over to his bloody corpse. He was beginning to smell and it made me want to puke, coupled with the blood stained on the floor. I struggled to wiggle under his bed. Where could I hide in his open room?

The door opened and I held my breath. I was exposed. I was screwed; the only solution was to fight whoever was about to enter his room - which was locked - and I wasn't in the mood to attempt to kill anyone else. There was blood on my hands. Literally.

Luckily, the familiar head of Yasa popped in, peering around the room, and realization dawned onto his face before he spotted me. He knew. He was familiar with the stench of death, and the sight of blood trickling through the polished, glinting wood was obvious. He knew.

"Ah," he said, closing the door behind him. "You did it."

"Y-Yasa-sensei," I whispered.

"I've been stalking you, Ibo, and Hamu since all of you arrived at this place. The guard I'm impersonating his unconscious. Did you… did you…?"

"No," I admitted, wriggling out from my awkward position. I neglected to wipe the snot running down my nose. I probably looked like a mess.

"I'm… I… I _killed _him." I looked down at my shoes, tears welling my eyes.

"Oh," Yasa said awkwardly. He swallowed loudly. "Ah. Well - er… well, everyone's first kill is… it's _weird. _When I first killed someone, I was crying, too. I was cursing and crying. I was happy I was stronger, but… I _killed _someone. My dad slapped me and told me to get a grip of myself.

"It was odd. After, it doesn't matter anymore. There just another person who'll probably do harm to the world. Think of it like this: they're termites and they'll overpopulate the Earth and eat all the wood and we'll be homeless, and if we continue killing them, it'll benefit society."

I peered at my hands.

"I… I suppose. Don'yoku - he was very sexist. He thought of me as a toy. I… I felt pissed."

"Did you gather some intel?"

I nodded.

"Don'yoku was business b-buddies with G-Gato, who was also a d-drug trafficker. Don'yoku t-told me that Gato disappeared and h-he lost contact with him. He _also _perpetrated the attempted k-kidnapping of Nakamura Aki. T-That's right. He hired S-Saisho and all those other shinobi to attack us and try to kidnap Aki-san."

Yasa's eyebrows raised.

"That's… that's too much for a bunch of genins." He laughed awkwardly, rubbing his neck.

I sniffled. Yasa reached out his hand, giving me a warm smile.

I peered up at him, staring at his foreign hand and at him.

After a few moments, I returned his smile and took his hand as he helped me up. _He didn't care about the blood on my hands_.

* * *

Yasa made clones and carried them out throughout the darkened, sleeping house to let Ibo and Hamu know that Don'yoku was dead.

I asked him, "How did no one here me and Don'yoku's battle?" I questioned.

"Ah. It was carefully planned out. Ibo and Hamu drugged the fish. The cook didn't even know and fed it to everyone. I suppose everyone was too doped up and high to hear you killing Don'yoku."

"And why didn't Don'yoku eat the fish?"

"Here's the plot twist," Yasa gave me a toothy smile, "Don'yoku hates fish."

Hamu and Ibo were surprisingly easy to find - they were up by the river near Don'yoku's house, kunais around the fingers and playing a game on Who-Can-Kill-The-Most-Fish-With-Only-Kunais.

"How'd it go?" Ibo scrambled to his feet quickly, slipping his wet kunai into his pockets.

"It… I - I killed him." I confessed, wrapping my arms around my body.

"Good job," Hamu agreed. "A bit surprising though - the civvie gets the first kill on the team. I was hoping it was _me_. Also, weren't we supposed to kill him?"

"I've decided that I should kill him, seeing how I had to suffer through his dry flirtations, wandering hands, and lustful gazes, you jerk."

Ibo snorted.

"Alright - so is our mission completed?"

"My mice already infiltrated the house and everything down to the basement." Hamu piped up.

"I stole a few files from Don'yoku's room," Yasa admitted.

"_How did you_ \- is that even _legal_?" I questioned.

"It is when you have the Hokage's word and a search warrant," Yasa replied, slipping files-that-I-didn't-notice-were-in-his-hands into his bag.

"Now, can we just go somewhere? I want to sleep before going back to Konoha." I crouched down and dipped my hands into the river, washing off the scarlet blood off my hands.

"I doubt we'll stay in Sakanagakure and sleep overnight at a small hotel," Ibo pointed out. "Perhaps around the outskirts of the village? We should leave this place before the servants get off their intoxication."

"Good idea." Yasa agreed. I wiped my wet hands on my kimono and grabbed my pack. I felt nauseated, tired, and disgusted.

I just _killed _someone. Although I may have not lost my virginity to some perverted bastard, but I lost my innocence in another way. I had taken the life of another - and I was going to hell.

Well. At least I'll see my father there.

* * *

**END OF **'_**MISSIONS' **_**ARC**

* * *

**Author's Note: **OMG, I finished the _**Missions **_arc! This arc was a handful, varying from Ichigo losing herself and trying to hold onto her humanity, and from her short-lived training chapter.

About the last line: her father isn't dead, lol. Ichigo means that he's a shinobi, and since he's killed people, he's going to hell - and she's killed people as well so she'll meet him in hell as well!

Let me know what you thought of this arc or chapter. How'd you feel about the AsuIchi (not romantic!) temporary teacher-student guidance? How'd you feel about the Don'yoku vs. Ichigo battle? Ichigo's speech towards him in the last chapter?

Thanks for reading for **_eighteen_**__chapters! Xoxo!


	19. 吉野 (YOSHINO)

Disclaimer: chakra affinity theories towards the end marked (1) is all written by 'GoDai' user on . I owe ALL of the theories to them!

Also, **Note: **I said I would be updating it on April 15th at 9:55AM EST (because it was only 1k words), but I was rushing in the morning. I also have exams Friday, next week, then in May I have another TWO exams, which is sort of annoying; so if I don't update my regular updating schedule (every wk, Saturday/Sunday) you'll know why.

* * *

**苺 ****\- Strawberry**

**(A**_**rc 111: Tertius arc)**_

_**Chapter Nineteen: **_**_吉野 (_**_**YOSHINO)**_

* * *

The oddest thing to wake up to is a furry, smelly little rat perched on top of your nose, its thin tail snaking into your nostril and it's paws on your chin, splayed out on your face.

I woke up with a silent scream and suddenly felt the urge to retch at its horrid smell. I was almost certain it wasn't Hamu's rats; he made sure his rats were kept clean. He wanted to make sure he wasn't suffering from the stereotype that 'all Nezumis were dirty people', so he was obsessed with bathing his summons after training or a battle.

The rat smelled like piss, pond scum, and sweat. I slipped out of bed, flicked on my light, and grabbed one of my shoes to throw at it as it scampered off me. However, I heard a quiet hiss and my head snapped up. Almost immediately, my fingers snaked to the weapon hidden under my pillow. (I thank God every day that I wasn't a messy sleeper. If I was, my face would've been cut up by now.) Yasa-sensei had suggested we all sleep with a weapon under my pillow and I opted for shuriken; easy to throw and cuts up one's enemies nice.

Relief washed over me when I saw the familiar obsidian black, messy hair. Hamu rapped on my window, his bandaged hands waving at me. I waved back, then realized he wanted to get in, and hurried to fling open my window.

He rolled his golden eyes before he glowered at me.

"I was waiting in the _cold _for you to wake up," He hissed.

"Why didn't you knock on the front door?" I replied obviously, rubbing the excess sleep clinging to my heavy eyelids.

Hamu sputtered for a minute, then buried his head in his hands.

"_Whatever_. Yasa-sensei wants us at the Fifth Training Grounds."

"Why?" I frowned, confused. We trained yesterday and the day before that. Yasa wanted to enforce the importance of exercise and training ever since that Don'yoku mission.

"I dunno," he said. He shrugged. "Anyways, we're late because you decided to _dream _about Hikari."

_I _was the one who was spluttering now. I blinked owlishly at my teammate and saw his satisfied smirk.

"Wha… what _are _you talking about? I-I don't…? Why would I want to dream about _Hikari_? She's a _girl_!"

"Thanks for informing me about her biological structure," Hamu deadpanned. I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm. What made him think that I liked _Hikari_? We've never talked and I'm pretty sure I never stared at her in the open. Sure, I've told my teammates how pretty she was - but that was because I was gauging our peers and analyzing them, and her seemingly flawless appearance was just another analytical detail.

I slipped into my closet to throw on my training clothes. Slipping on my navy blue sandals, I quickly jotted down a swift note to my family:

_**dear family, **_

_**I've got an urgent request to go train. I'll see you soon. I'll be in the teahouse when I get back! **_

_**love, Ichigo **_

I placed it on my freshly made bed and nodded at Hamu. I slipped out the window with him and together we headed towards the Fifth Training Grounds, curious about what Yasa gathered us for.

* * *

When we arrived, Yasa and Ibo were already there, standing next to red railings; Ibo looked about ready to sleep over the ocean. Yasa was slipping on and unslipping his brown gloves.

When he finally saw us, he brightened.

"Ohayo, Ichigo, Hamu!" He waved wildly. "You've finally arrived!"

"It's early." I deadpanned, staring at my sensei.

"Yes - I've acknowledged that," He replied, rubbing his neck. "I'm sure you'll be excited of what I've arranged for you all in the next few months."

"Training?" Ibo questioned.

"Yes!" Yasa clapped excitedly. "_Training_. This means that we'll be doing nothing but _training_ \- and missions - for the next few months until the Chuunin Exams!"

_Chuunin Exams. _I shifted uneasily. I knew what the next Chuunin Exams were: the one where Suna and Oto arranged a coup, killed a Jounin proctor, and that's where Orochimaru smuggled himself in. It was one of the biggest arcs in the Naruto series, and it seems that Yasa would want us to enter. _Hell, no. I'll do whatever I can to forestall or prevent us from going there. _If it meant breaking my two legs, I'll do it.

"Let's enter the grounds so we can find out what awaits, eh?" Yasa suggested mischievously. I narrowed my eyes at him. He was acting strange, and that put me on edge. He was hiding something, and that _something _was big.

Nevertheless, Hamu and Ibo followed him into the large grounds so I did the same thing. It had rained recently, so the earth was very soft and moist. I tugged at my ponytail and stopped at the center of the training grounds.

Yasa placed two fingers in his lips and blew on it, hard. We all blinked at him.

"Yasa-sensei…" Ibo said slowly. "What's going on? What are you doing?"

He gave Ibo a grin. "You'll see."

A warning signal went off in my brain, and my fingers snaked to my weapons pouch. Something was up.

Finally, my suspicions were semi-confirmed when I saw two figures in unidentifiable clothing. My eyes widened and I got in a defensive position. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed that Hamu and Ibo also adopted the same positions.

"Yasa-sensei," Ibo hissed. "Who are those people?"

Yasa giggled.

"Those are _strong ninj_\- what the hell guys? What are you guys doing?"

"They look as if they want to attack us," Ibo answered simply.

Yasa pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I… I don't know what to say, honestly. Those are _shinobi_, Konoha shinobi who I've invited to teach you all skills that I am not educated in."

I blinked once, then twice. I quickly put away my weapons and blinked at him again.

"Oh." I said dumbly. "_Oh!_"

The two persons stopped in front of his, and I studied them.

One of the figures was an average brunette. She was neither ugly or attractive. Her dark brown hair was pulled into a tight ponytail and her brown eyes were warm, though narrowed; she had large thighs and hips and looked to be around thirty or forty.

The second shinobi was another brunette. He had bronze skin and brown, shaggy hair and dark brown eyes.

"Ichigo, Ibo, Hamu," Yasa began, "this is: _Nara Yoshino_ and _Zaji_."

"Why are they here, sensei?" Hamu asked, crossing his arms. "You're such a lousy sensei that you can't train us yourself?"

Yasa glowered sourly.

"Ah, Hamu, _do _remember that _I _taught you the tree-walking and water walking exercise."

Hamu grumbled at that fact.

"_Anyways_, like I said, I felt like you three would be wasting here, not learning anything and honing your secret true talent because I am ignorant in that art. _So, _I decided to pick up these three who are willing to teach you all temporarily."

"Well, Yasa-sensei," I began. "What 'art' is that?"

"I felt that, after evaluating you all for a year, you have a secret talent and natural skill towards that certain art, or you need to hone your skills more."

Yasa gestured to the three part-time shinobi - except Zaji.

"Nara Yoshino is a mother. She's the wife of the Nara clan head, Nara Shikaku. She is trained in the arts of fuuinjutsu but quit after being pregnant with her first - and only - child. She knows a few things or two about fuuinjutsu. _However, _she _did _have to retire from being a kunoichi, so her knowledge on fuuinjutsu is limited."

Finally, he gestured to Zaji, who I was most curious about.

"This is Zaji. He's a sensory type Chuunin." He gave us all a toothy smile, and it wasn't too hard to deduce who he was going to assign the watered down shinobi to.

_**Sensory type/Zaji - Hamu**_

_**Yoshino - Me**_

I was confused with my instructor's mindset. Why wouldn't he just teach us something he _knew_? Also, who would teach Ibo?

"Hamu, you go with Zaji - Ichigo, you go with the Nara, and Ibo, you go with me."

"W-Wait!" Hamu sputtered, waving his hands wildly, "this is unexpected! I don't _know _this guy! Why can't you teach all three of us, you lousy instructor!"

Yasa smiled, despite Hamu's insults.

"Hamu, I can teach you only so much things. I have taught you all chakra control and infusing chakra in specific areas, reflexes, taijutsu, and how to perform hand seals quickly and swiftly. I _can't_, however, teach you how to perceive chakra signatures from afar because I'm not a sensory type nin.

"I also cannot teach Ichigo her purpose or specialty of becoming a ninja. While I can guide her, if she chooses to specialize in kenjutsu, I cannot help her, because _I _don't specialize in kenjutsu. If she wants to do that, then I'll invite another Konoha nin who has limited knowledge on that shinobi art to help teach her. I can only guide you all from afar.

"_However_, I _can _train Ibo because I have my suspicions that we share the same chakra nature affinity."

"What if we all share the same chakra affinity?" I questioned, moving closer to my sensei suspiciously. Was he _really _pulling a Kakashi/Gai and playing favorites?

"If you all share the same chakra affinity as me, or one of you do, and Ibo does not, I'll of course teach you all."

"And what chakra affinity may that be?" I voiced.

Yasa smiled again.

"Ah. You'll see. I'm afraid we've wasted too much time. Hamu, you and Zaji may go wherever you choose to go to train and hone your skills; Ichigo, I suspect you and Nara-san may have to take a trip to the library. Ibo and I will be at the Fifth Training Grounds all day. If any of you need us, we'll be here."

He placed a gloved hand on Ibo's shoulder. Hamu sighed in dejection and I crossed my arms. I _was _a bit jealous that Ibo shared something with our sensei that we didn't, but I was also excited for whatever Yoshino would teach me.

I straightened when I realized something. I recalled to what Yasa had said: "_... wife of clan head, Nara Shikaku." _

_Wasn't Nara Shikaku Shikamaru's dad? _

Well, shit. This complicated a few things.

* * *

True to Yasa's words, Yoshino rounded me up to the library. We didn't talk throughout the walk or quest for books; she was rummaging through the shelfs, staring at the kanji on the spine of the book before dropping it into her arms.

In Konoha, the library was a public library. It was opened to shinobis and civilians. However, shinobi _did _have access to a limited, private section of the large, bright library. The security measures were simple; flare your chakra and present your hitai-ate, and one would be let through. Civilians were unable to do such because they

_**a.**_**, **did not know how to flare their own chakra since they weren't trained to access it

and

_**b.,**_ they did not have a hitai-ate.

The scrolls did not cover high-quality, supplementary jutsus. It mainly covered advanced medical books and scrolls and buukijutsu guides. The rest of the general shinobi scrolls/books were in the regular section of the library, varying from _**how to keep your weapons clean! **_and _**how to detect which plant was poisonous. **_

Yoshino silently led me into the shinobi section, struggling to keep the large number of books from falling out her arms. I offered to help, but she coldly ignored me, opting to stonily maneuver ahead.

It was dead silent and awkward. Yoshino only made noises when she made noises of approval and gasps. Finally, we exited the shinobi section and sat ourselves down at a large, wooden table. Yoshino spilled the books out and set her elbows on the table.

"Ocha Ichigo," she murmured. "Fourteen. Experienced her first seductive mission where she allegedly murdered the target; was nothing special in the Academy. Had average, if not inferior taijutsu scores, had OK scores in ninjutsu, and had zero skills in buukijutsu and genjutsu."

I squirmed under her stony gaze as she ticked off everything she knew about me.

"Now, Ichigo-san. Look at me." I followed her command and looked up at her narrowed her. "I don't have time for whiny, little girls who chase after the shinobi - or kunoichi - they love, and/or are only interested in playing ninja. Alternatively, I don't have time for stoic, hostile little girls who think they've experienced the worst of the worst just because their Academy acquaintance has died on a mission."

I winced at her harsh tone. I licked my suddenly dry lips and nodded eagerly.

Thinking about it now, I don't recall Yoshino being a _ninja _during the anime. She was just Shikamaru's mom; although, that could've been it: Shikamaru wasn't exactly a main character, and neither were his parents. His mother probably received fifteen minutes total in both of the Naruto series.

"Ichigo-san," Yoshino said sharply, "what is it that you want to be? What do you want to _specialize _in? Do you want to become a taijutsu specialist, where speed, strength, and agility is essential? Or a ninjutsu specialist, collecting all the ninjutsus in the world and suffering from callous, cracked fingers from the constant training on _getting those goddamn hand seals right_!

"Or do you just want to continue playing ninja? Better yet, why don't you quit?"

I straightened up, alarmed at her question.

"Y-Yoshino-sensei!" I gasped at her question. "I… I don't want to quit! I've gone too far in to quit now!"

Yoshino hummed, twirling a strand of stray hair around her tan finger. "Interesting. So, given the chance, would you go back in time and _not _become a ninja? You could've worked with your family, and become a teahouse worker. In fact, you could've taken over; your family wouldn't have sleepless nights, worrying sick about you. They wouldn't have to conceal their smiles when they see you walk home, muddy, bruised, and bloody. They would be content that their sister - or daughter's - only child would be safe."

My fingers trembled as Yoshino's sing-songy voice coiled around me. Would I change it? I thought about what she said, and my bottom lip quivered. I never thought about my family worrying sick about me. I never thought of them wishing I was a regular kid. I fisted my hands and slammed it on the table, standing up.

"I… In all due respect, Yoshino-sensei," I began shakily, "I don't wish to turn back time. I want… I want to bring honor to this village. I want to become a strong shinobi to make the Leaf village proud!" With hesitant hands, I brought that fist to my breast.

Yoshino stared at me. My lips trembled. It was all a lie. It was all a lie to please Yoshino, but I think she saw right through it.

* * *

After toying with my mental state, Yoshino began cracking open the books.

"I've collected books with the most general information on each shinobi arts. I want you to study it and tell me what you want to do. Keep in mind that your team's overall speciality is infiltration and gathering information."

"Of course, I can't become a sensory type nin or have Yamanaka powers," I argued, "the only thing I can specialize in is destroying or killing the enemy, perhaps as quickly as I can."

"That's good, Ichigo-san, but perhaps you would want to specialize in a jutsu that'll silence your movements."

"I highly doubt there's a jutsu like that," I scoffed at her. I crossed my arms. She was right, though. If Team Yasa were to ever go on another intel-gathering mission, a jutsu that helped me eavesdrop would be _extremely beneficial _ \- or a jutsu that helped silence my movements.

"There's no jutsu like that - yet," Yoshino said, sighing as she rubbed her temples. "However, there may not be _specific _ninjutsus, but I have an idea of one jutsu. Now, I'll need to test you to see if you qualify for that."

I cocked an eyebrow, confused.

"Er - what do you mean, Yoshino-sensei?" I asked, drumming my fingers against the table.

She sighed. "I'm glad I prepared beforehand," She said under her breath. Digging into her large purse - which looked more like an oversized weapons bag than anything - she pulled out a tan, blank sheet of a note-sized paper.

"This is a chakra paper," She said sharply. "If you pour your chakra into this, it'll do a variety of things according to the nature affinity of your chakra.

_**Fire: the paper will burn and crumple to ash. **_

_**Wind: the paper will cut into two. **_

_**Earth: the paper will transform into dirt and crumble away.**_

_**Lightning: the paper will crinkle. **_

_**Water: the paper will wetten.**_"

She slid the sheet of paper towards me.

"My affinity is Earth my other chakra nature is Water," she said. "I wasn't born with fire, which isn't odd, but is not a regular occurrence in Konoha - located in the fire country.

I thought about it for a minute.

"So, what you're saying is depending the environment, that'll usually be your chakra nature? For example, an Iwa-nin will have a better chance of having an Earth affinity or chakra nature than say, a Suna-nin?"

"That's correct," Yoshino confirmed, nodding.

I scrunched my eyebrows together, thinking about it again.

… _so, chakra affinity is similar to one's natural born features, according to their enviroment/ancestors enviroment? _

_Africans were born with broad noses and kinky hair for protection against the heat - at least in my world - while Europeans had thin noses, straight hair and pale skin for protection against cold. It's adaptation and is totally based upon environment/weather, although the affinity is a little less predictable. Yoshino has Earth and a second nature for water. While most of the time, it'll generally be __**konoha nin fire, iwa nin earth, suna nin wind, kiri nin water, kumo nin lightning**__, and other ninjas in the same countries, it sometimes can have an Iwa nin ending up with a fire affinity and a Kumo nin with a wind affinity. _

After thinking this over briefly, I looked up at my temporary sensei.

"Is there an explanation for this? Why sometimes ninjas in opposite countries get the 'wrong' affinity, not related to their own village or country?"

Yoshino smiled behind her hands.

"Not an official explanation, but merely theories written on scrolls. I'll lend them to you later, but for now, let's test your affinity."

I nodded firmly and grabbed the paper. It was dry and felt ancient. It felt like a sealed scroll.

I poured chakra into it as instructed. A little bit went a long way, and immediately, the paper became wet.

_Oh. Oh! _

"Water," Yoshino breathed, staring up at me. "How lucky."

I gave her a shaky smile.

_Perhaps… perhaps affinity is not only based on environment, but genetics? _

"Yoshino-sensei, is chakra affinity genetically passed down?"

Yoshino stared at me cautiously as she zipped up her purse.

"There's been theories on that, yes," She replied hesitantly. "Why? Don't you come from a civilian family?"

I instantly froze up, realizing my silly mistake. _Shit! Did I just almost give away that I have a secret family clan in Kiri?_

I stared at the wet paper in my hands, slowly breaking apart.

"Wouldn't civilians have a chakra affinity, too? They just can't use their chakra, but it still can be nature based, right?"

Yoshino didn't say anything. I felt her brown-eyed gaze burning into my skull. I licked my lips nervously.

Finally, she straightened.

"While it'd be nice that you had an affinity towards Earth - I could've taught you a watered down jutsu on how to 'swim' under the earth and eavesdrop, which would've aided in infiltration - I could teach you a jutsu or two before the Chuunin Exams."

"What about your son?" I asked. "Why don't you teach him?"

For the first time that morning, Yoshino's eyes warmed and she grinned.

"Shikamaru-kun? That lazy little cookie… he'd prefer to train in the Nara's clan techniques and with his sensei or father."

After a pregnant pause, Yoshino clapped loudly.

"Ichigo! I'm not a laidback sensei who's more physical! To be a perfect student, you have to have both _heaven _and _earth _balanced! Or at least have _heaven!_"

I cocked an eyebrow. _I heard that term before, but from where…? _

"I want you to read these!" She slid me a novel and a scroll. I peered at them

_**The Art of Infiltration: A Genin's Guide. **_

_**Theory of Chakra Affinity**_

I slumped.

"Yoshino-sensei… when will the actual training start?"

"This is training," She sniffed. "Training for your _mind_!" I winced at her sharp tone. Without another word, she got up abruptly and whirled around. I scrambled to my feet, grabbing the two reading assignments and leaving the other, excess books on the table.

I caught up to Yoshino who was at the door, walking away.

"Ah… thanks, Yoshino-sensei." I smiled at her.

Yoshino paused. She turned around to me.

"Please do not forget that I am a _Nara_. I'm smart and cunning. If you hide _any _secrets from me - _any secrets - _I will find out. Do not underestimate me because I am a woman." The corner of her lips turned up into a small smirk, and she whipped around, her sandals clicking as she walked off.

My heart pounded in my throat and I almost dropped my book and scroll from my trembling arms. _She didn't forget. She caught on. She's going to find out. I'm gonna die. _I thought frantically. My legs were wobbly and I struggled to walk. I didn't even have the energy to call out, "_I don't underestimate you because you're a woman!" _Instead, I was more concerned at her becoming more suspicious.

I breathed slowly.

_**What was so bad about having her find out your secret? **_A small voice in my head cooed. _**In fact, you might find out the truth about your father and his clan once and for all. **_

I shook my head firmly as I began walking home, cradling my supplies. It didn't matter; my family might be executed or thrown into jail for keeping such a secret. In fact, it might even bait Kiri into threatening _Konoha _for 'stealing' a Kiri shinobi's child; my father's clan might've even been a prominent, important, prestigious and elite clan.

The only way to prevent Yoshino from finding out was to find out myself. Unfortunately, I had little to no clues on my mysterious father. The only thing I knew was:

_**he was a Kiri shinobi**_

_**he was apart of his clan**_

_**the women in his clan were 'crazy'**_

_**? **_

My mother took the secret of my father's identity to the grave. And it might be dug up again by Yoshino.

* * *

I decided to read my scroll and book over lunch. I stopped by a general food restaurant and ordered fried octopus.

I decided to unroll my scroll first. I skimmed over the irrelevant, insignificant introduction and started randomly in the middle.

_**火 **__**\- Fire: chakra increases in temperature and flammability. This gives the user burning and deconstructive effects. **_

_**風 **__**\- Wind: Chakra is grinded and pressed to then develop to become thin and sharp. **_

_**雷 **__**\- Lightning: Vibration frequencies of chakra is increased, thus causing it to become unstable and electrical. **_

_**土 **__**\- Earth: The density of chakra is increased, and its composition changed, forming an earthen solid. **_

_**水 **__**\- Water: The viscosity of chakra is increased, forming water in a liquid form (liquid/gas). However, it is usually more dense and viscous than natural water.**_

I skimmed through the rest. It basically explained why some natures dominant the other; for example, fire over wind. Wind increases the combustion of the fire by feeding oxygen (and other) gasses into it. However, I paused at that. Would that imply that chakra is a gas? Unless one with a wind affinity (essentially, chakra) were to have other components that one with a fire affinity does not; thus meaning that they feed into the fire with opposing chakra, causing it to be bigger.

I decided to write my theory down on a slip of napkin and give it to Yoshino tomorrow for her to confirm.

Alternatively, one can argue that lightning and water is equal (that is, of course, one shoots one certain jutsu with the affinity that is larger than the opponent. For instance, a Kiri nin shoots a Kumo nin with a jet of water with more chakra than the Kumo nin puts into the lightning jutsu).

"_**Kumo nin shoots a bolt of lightning; Kiri nin reacts by shooting a tidal wave. The bolt of lightning **__**may **__**travel through the water and attack Kiri nin, the water jutsu will become electrically charged through its flight (due to the lightning jutsu) and the Kumo ninja will suffer both from the **__A. lightning bolt_ _**and **__b. tidal wave__**." **_

I frowned at this entry of the scroll, and wrote down my response on the napkin.

"_However, it may all depend on which ever jutsu hits the person first; if the lightning bolt hits the Kiri nin, wouldn't the Kiri nin's jutsu instantly end due to being hurt and that = low chakra levels or decreased chakra levels? The jutsu wouldn't be able to complete in time because of the rapid decrease of chakra put in to the jutsu which = failed jutsu, right? Or vice versa." _

I rolled up my scroll, deciding I was finished for reading. I wanted a nice cup of tea, and I knew just where to get it. I slipped the book and finished scroll into my bag, finished off my food, left the bill, and walked out the restaurant, my stomach full and my mind full of theories.

* * *

I headed to my family's owned teahouse. My uncle was working the counter. His carrot colored hair was pulled into a low ponytail and he was working up a sweat as he answered many customers requests. His eyes found mine and he tightened his lips into a smile. He waved me over, and I maneuvered through the tight crowd.

"Ohayo, Ichigo-chan," My uncle chirped.

"Ah… it's not morning anymore, _oji_." I informed him as I slipped behind the counter.

"It… it isn't?" He leaned against the counter, ignoring the angry glares the customers were sending his way. "I'm so tired. Tousan left to go pick up more tea leaves… the teahouse has gotten more popular, and I'm not sure if it's a good thing or…" he trailed off, too tired to finish the sentence.

I sent him a sympathetic glance.

"Ah. How about I work the counter for now? Go eat some apples, drink some water… I dunno. Meanwhile, go relax and go write a letter to our distant relatives and offer them a job for the teahouse. I'm sure they'll be happy to be able to live in Konohagakure."

My uncle gave me a grim smile.

"That's very kind, Ichigo-chan. I'll take up your offer, but for the family offer: our small relatives in _Cha no Kuni _are civilian-based. They would be extremely shocked to the sudden appearance of shinobi."

"They'll adapt quickly," I assured him. "After all, _I'm _a shinobi, right?"

He wiped his face with a damp towel.

"I'll think it over. I'll see you later, okay? Thanks, Ichigo-chan." He touched my shoulder and walked out the restaurant, not looking back.

I smiled and continued taking requests, yelling it back at my family. It felt like old times again.

* * *

I woke up the next morning, my memories hazy. As soon as I rose from my bed, an open book fell off my bed, crashing to the floor. I scratched my head, picked it up, and rubbed my eyes, my memories soaring to me.

I had worked the shift until the early night. The shop finally closed for the night and I went home, drank a cup of peppermint tea, and did some light reading over the book Yoshino assigned me.

I sighed as I dog-eared the page I was on. I wasn't even half finished with the (relatively) short book. It was about infiltration and the basis, history, and general how-to guide for it. It was helpful, but boring. Yasa had already guided us on how to infiltrate stealthily and correctly. Henge was our go-to style, and sometimes we'd stock up on hair dyes constantly; Hamu had summoning animals that could infiltrate any establishment, listen for information, and relay it to Ibo. Ibo can search through someone's _mind _and find out all their secrets - albeit with extensive training and practice.

_And then there was me… _

What did I contribute to this group? I didn't want to be a link, but how can I become _beneficial _to my team? Genjutsu could've been my specialty; I'm sure I could learn a genjutsu out there that helped me gather intel easier, but it was _impossible _for me to perform or dispel genjutsu. I'd have to talk to Yoshino or Yasa over that. I had my theories why, but I wanted to consult a jounin or a Nara, who's impeccably meticulous and thorough.

I took a shower, threw on my clothes, brushed my teeth, and styled my brown hair into my signature pigtails. I jetted down the stairs, said a quick hello to my family, grabbed some water, and ran out.

I headed over to the library where I was sure Yoshino would be there, waiting for me.

I was right. Yoshino was in front of the library, pacing around, clad in a dark pink blouse, blue sandals, and high ponytail. She looked stern and impatient.

"Yoshino-sensei!" I chirped. "How are you? Ohayo! Anyways, I've got plenty of theories I want to share with you on chakra affinity 'theory' -"

"Not now, Ichigo. There's something important going on."

"Eh?" I was confused. Her tone was stony and serious. "What's going on?"

She paused, not looking at me directly. Instead, she looked up at the sky, and as I followed her gaze, I realized she was staring at the Hokage's tower.

"Yoshino-sensei?" I quipped.

"Ichigo…" Yoshino trailed off before licking her lips, avoiding my gaze. "The Fourth Mizukage - Yagura - has died."

* * *

**Note: **anddd that brings it to the end of the first chap for the 3rd arc, tertius! If you didn't know, 'tertius' in latin means 'Third'. This third arc won't be very long and is rather general, and not focused on one specific thing. First arc was introduction/academy arc, which focused on the academy and introducing the teams and characters; the 2nd arc was missions, detailing 2 missions and recovery + Ichigo's mental state during these life/death missions. This is a much more general arc.

Also, please remember that Ichigo didn't finish the whole Naruto series. Again, she probably got into the first few episodes of the Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance arc!

And yes, I implied of a HikarixIchigo relationship. If you remember, Hikari is a Sarutobi who sparred with Ibo during the Academy arc and nearly won. If you want to read her scenes, she's featured in:

_**chapter 4: defeat, beginning of the chap**_

_**chapter 10: odd squad, beginning chapter before 1st line break. **_

She's going to be a relatively significant character next arc, so please refresh your memory of the brief description(s) of her! I hope you like this chapter. It surpassed 4k words, so I hope it's sufficient.

Also, discussing Yoshino Nara: I decided to use a background character as the temporary sensei for Ichigo. I feel like both Yoshino, a stern, strong mother would click with Ichigo, a strong-spirited girl. I also changed Yoshino's character a bit, but hey; she's barely seen in the series, she might as well be an OC! I think the scenes w/ Yoshino are the most fun to write.

Anyways, please enjoy!

xoxo, Hyugaki


	20. 専門 (SPECIALTY)

**苺 ****\- Strawberry**

**(A**_**rc 111: Tertius arc)**_

_**Chapter Twenty: **_**専門 ****(SPECIALTY)**

* * *

Yoshino was particularly enjoying the warm, crisp air of Konohagakure. It was only morning, and the sky was painted orange, blue, and purple as the large golden sun swam across the sky.

Yoshino, however, had a serious task at hand. She slipped out the house after drying her hands; she left her husband and son grilled fish, rice, and miso soup. She had insisted on cooking it; the 'cooks' were persistent, but Yoshino had a stern glower, and they relented after many arguments.

Yoshino tied her hitai-ate around her head tightly. She had a job to do. She was to make sure her temporary student would not wake up, which is why she woke up in the dawn. She had to investigate briefly. Although she was a full-time mother who cleaned, cooked, and took care of her small family, she was still a former _shinobi _(yes, shinobi. She was in the same league as some male Chuunin) and that Ichigo girl had made a slip up. It was a _very _small miniscule slip up, but Yoshino picked up her rigid body language; the way the brown girl's stiffened, the way she chewed on her lips and rubbed her hands. She presumed that was the girl's usual mechanisms when she said something she shouldn't have, or was scared.

Perhaps scared because she slipped up?

When Ichigo was revealed to have water chakra affinity, she instantly asked if chakra affinity was genetic. While that was an _excellent _question, and Yoshino liked how the young girl's mind worked and how she thought, she recalled that the girl had a late mother who was single. Her father was unknown, which wasn't suspicious at first; her deceased mother could've drunkenly hooked up with a random civilian, or someone insignificant.

The problem was her question. Her family were _civilians_. Usually, chakra affinities were enviroment-based (although not _always _the case), and if anything, they would've had fire affinity due to Cha no Kuni being near the Hi no Kuni, the Fire Country. Why would she ask that? Her mother was also a civilian - and if chakra affinities _were _determined by prominently one's genetics and environment, then her mother would _also _be inclined to having a fire affinity, attributable to her family having a fire affinity _and _the environment.

The father, then, could've been the gifter to the water affinity. Yoshino's father had an Earth affinity, and that was because _his _father had an Earth affinity, which was due to _his _father's father's father -

Well, it didn't matter, now. That left plenty of options open. Yoshino could've settled for her mother hooking up with a random, insignificant civilian. But Yoshino couldn't ignore Ichigo's body language. The sweat drop beaming down her temples; her hands rubbed together rapidly and her multiple swallows. The way she shifted in her seat; Yoshino, being a Nara - impeccably intelligent - was excellent at reading body language. Ichigo was either:

**\- scared**

**\- said something she shouldn't have**

**\- nervous**

Or all of the above. Now, Yoshino had a strong, gut feeling that something was wrong and the young Genin was hiding something. Ichigo's file was very short and curt, and so was the Ocha family. They migrated from Cha no Kuni to Hi no Kuni, Konohagakure for work; Ocha Kouta and Midori (née Wagarashi ) had a daughter named Ocha Aiko.

Again, the information was very curt and general. Yoshino had decided to visit Yamanaka soon after. Slipping into the public library, Yoshino wondered if she would find any information on water affinities here. She was a water-user herself, but she was prominent in Earth.

Yoshino pulled out a few books about water affinity, sat down, and began reading. She knew that mainly those in _**Mizu no Kuni **_held the water affinity; anyone can be inclined to a water affinity, however. Yoshino sighed, perching her chin in her hand. Perhaps it was useless. She could be at a dead end.

Yoshino felt the chakra pulse before _he _appeared. Yoshino flipped out her chair effortlessly, landing in a perfect crouch on the floor. The book slid off the table and the blonde man with a mullet appeared before the aforementioned book crashed to the ground.

Yoshino straightened, standing up. "Inoichi-san. Just the man I'm looking for," she greeted.

"Yoshino-san," Inoichi nodded. "Although you're not an active shinobi, you're still as athletic as ever."

Yoshino smirked, dusting off her blouse.

"Ah, you know. I've gotten so bored that I've decided to help out Yasa with his students before the Exams and train one of his students, Ocha Ichigo. Speaking of her, I'm glad you came here. I was going to look for you…"

"I'd love to hear about it, Yoshino-san, but I'm afraid that'll have to wait. Something's… happened." Inoichi lowered his voice, aware that he was in a public library. He glanced from the corner of his eye at the librarian, who was seemingly oblivious.

Yoshino's lips tightened into a thin line.

Inoichi leaned in and whispered something into her ear.

Yoshino's eyes widened and her body went stiff.

"Wha…?" she trailed off, murmuring to herself.

"I'm afraid it's true. Shikaku is with the Hokage. I have to go to the Tower, myself. They're having a meeting; they want to arrange a - " Inoichi lowered his voice, "'special mission', but all the important Sarutobis are out. Anyways, Shikaku would appreciate it if you held a clan meeting."

Yoshino nodded firmly.

"Got it," she whispered, her eyes narrowing. "See you soon."

Inoichi nodded and body flickered away, leaving only leaves that detailed his presence.

Yoshino gulped. Looks like she wouldn't be investigating today. She stumbled outside, her legs shaking. She hasn't lead a clan meeting in a while. In fact, ever since Orochimaru had departed from the village - no… was it when the Nine Tails attacked Konoha… or was it when the Uchiha Clan was massacred -

She clutched her pouch so hard, her tan knuckles paled. This was _serious. _**The Fourth Mizukage has died - and it's possible that it was **_**murder.**_

* * *

I stared in horror and shock at Yoshino as she swallowed uneasily, shifting her feet.

"Yoshino-sensei…," I whispered. "Wha…?"

"You heard me," she said. "Yagura-_sama_ -" Her voice was strained as she reluctantly added the pronoun to his name "is dead."

"How? How is he dead? How is that related to our studies and training? And why does it concern Konoha?" My words spewed out my mouth uncontrollably.

Yoshino paced around the entrance of the Konoha public library, tucking a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Ichigo, here's a little lesson in diplomatic relations and politics. When the leader of another hidden village, or country - like a daimyō or kage - dies, _especially if it's an abrupt death_, then it's pretty important. Especially if he's somewhat abnormal and he could've been assassinated; especially if there's a small, small, _small_ possibility that whoever assassinated the Mizukage could assassinate the other kages or daimyō(s)."

I blinked at her fast rambling.

"What's so abnormal about him?" I asked her hesitantly.

She glanced at me.

"That's not for me to tell you, Ichigo," she simply replied, avoiding my question. My curiosity grew. What was so abnormal about the Fourth Mizukage? And _why _was he killed?

All of this was annoying me. After Yoshino quickly departed, I wandered to a common food-place so I could sit down and finish my book. I could do something productive and finish the assignments Yoshino commanded me to complete while she was busy.

* * *

I finished reading the short, informational book on infiltration. Apparently, it's very beneficial for one to have the Earth style chakra, because there are various ninjutsus that help keep their footsteps silent or help them swim through the ground, like Ibo was learning; this was another reason why Iwa was formidable. Majority of their shinobi(s) had Earth-style chakra, and that was why they can slither in and gather intel. Of course, an average ninja worth their hitai-ate should know a few ninjutsus - at least Chuunins, anyway - or fuuinjutsu (if that was their specialty) that silenced conversation. However, it was difficult and neither I, nor my teammates, knew a fuuinjutsu or ninjutsu like that, so we were forced to keep our whispers lower than average when discussing something top-secret.

I finished the book over sushi. I closed up the book, slipped it into my oversized pouch, and slapped down the desired amount of ryo I owed the cooks. As I rose from my seat, I heard the slap of ninja sandals and my head snapped up, expecting it to be someone of familiarity.

I was partially correct. It was my former classmate, Sarutobi Hikari. She was a beautiful, semi-strong girl who was tall, muscular, and had long, ashy dark brown hair. She gave me a curt nod as she sat down at the table I was sitting.

"Hello, Ocha-san,"Hikari _purred_. "What are you doing here? It's a hot day and you're… _reading_? You were never one to pursue studies outside the Academy."

I flushed as her gray eyes reeled in on me, catching me and staring me down.

"Ah, well, Sarutobi-san, I'm a _Genin_ now, and it's time I wise up."

"Yasa-sensei, is it?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Uh, yeah - however, Yasa-sensei's not train - " I stopped myself. I wasn't too sure that Yasa assigning each of us different senseis was supposed to be 'common knowledge'.

"Did you hear what happened?" I steered the conversation away from myself cautiously. "With Kiri?"

"Ah, yes I did," she murmured. "In fact, I've been assigned a mission to go to Kiri - "

"_Wait_," I interjected, my blue eyes bulging, "you're… you're a _Genin!_"

"Ah, Ichigo, you must've forgotten that I'm one of the strongest _female _Genin this year; I can handle a diplomatic mission. Also, shall I remind you that I'm a _Sarutobi_, the same clan the _God of Shinobi _is in?"

I pursed my lips. "How about Asuma-san? Or… or someone _else_?"

"Asuma-senpai is on a mission with two teams. I will also be accompanied by my team, two other Sarutobis, and three Chuunin and a Jounin."

"Is that really necessary for a diplomatic mission? Is a diplomatic necessary _at all_? I mean, their Kage's death has nothing to do with _us_. Also, why are you _telling _me this? Is this not classified?"

"Here's something for you to chew on," Hikari began, running her bangs out her face. "Kiri and Konoha have not been on good terms. There's been an _incident _for the Third Shinobi War… even before that…" she trailed off, her smoky eyes glazing, before she blinked. Biting her nail, she continued.

"How would it look for another Hidden Village of the 'Great Five' to ignore the states Kirigakure is in?"

I shifted my weight.

"I mean, if Kiri and Konoha was in bad terms… wouldn't it be better for them to ignore?"

"Wrong," Hikari deadpanned. "It would look _petty _on our part and rather _suspsicious _for us to ignore the Mizukage's death. In fact, Kiri has yet to find out the reason for his death. It's only been a few hours, at most; if we were to ignore this predicament, we will be written off as suspicious.

"It would be best to improve diplomatic relations _now_. We would not only be implying 'let bygones be bygones', but in a few months…" she trailed off again. Her eyes stared past me as she was in deep thought.

She shook her head.

"Not now," she murmured. "Anyways, you get the gist. I hope your training and studies go well, Ocha-san."

"You too. Thank you for the lesson…?" I cocked my head.

"No problem," Hikari touched my shoulder, stood up, and walked off.

I stared at the cash on the table. The spot where she touched was still tingling.

* * *

My family were buzzing around the house when I arrived home. My aunt nearly bumped into me as I slipped off my shoes.

"What's going on?" I asked, blinking as my family danced around me, trying not to bump into me as they hauled large trays and platters of food.

"Jiichan, can you go pick up the yakisoba from the _Tabemono Tenpo_?" My grandma barked out. I heard a gruff grunt and the door opened then slammed closed. I blinked again.

"Oh, Ichigo-chan! You're here!" My grandmother finally noticed me, placing a heavy hand on my shoulder. "Perfect. Can you go haul those boxes of glasses in here?"

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Well, we took your advice of inviting our distant relatives in _Cha no Kuni_; a few agreed, while most of them stayed, and they're going to work for a few months until things cool down in the teahouse."

"Oh. Oh! That's great." I brightened after processing her words. Finally, they'd have a few others to juggle the workload of the teahouse; not only did they have to juggle the burden of buying, brewing, selling, and baking the wagashi, but there were only _three _people to do all of that, including managing a mob of thirsty customers.

I ran my fingers through my pigtails.

"But… what's with the big getup?"

"It's polite to welcome them," My aunt piped up. "Besides, they've came from Cha no Kuni, a four day walk, to here. I think we should shower them with food and deliciously brewed tea, no?"

I hauled over the boxes of glasses, which were rather heavy, and my family began to work. Deciding I had no place to help, I went upstairs, took a shower, and began rereading my scrolls.

I thought back to the Chuunin Exams. There was no possible way for me to prevent it, and even if I could, _I wouldn't. _If there was a rift in this 'universe' - a sudden change - then I couldn't predict what was happening. One pebble thrown into a lake creates a dozen of ripples.

I undid my hairstyle and breathed slowly. There was a slight halt in my temporary studies; what with the Mizukage's death…

I had a dark feeling that the Mizukage's death was _important. _But what about the Mizukage was so significant?

I took out a spare roll of scrolls and began writing, trying to rummage through my mind. The last arc I was on was the _Three Tails arc_. The Three Tails was a regular bijuu.

_Yoshino slipped out that there was something 'abnormal' about the deceased Mizukage… but what was so abnormal about him? _I could ask Hikari. She seemed to know a considerable amount about the shinobi world. However, she was leaving on a mission _to _Kirigakure.

Yasa probably wouldn't know, or would not tell me. I had to piece this together myself.

I also had to worry about my father. Yoshino was suspicious of me after my foolish slip a few days ago. However, she was preoccupied with the abrupt death of the Mizukage.

I didn't write anything in the scrolls. Sighing, I rolled it up and stuffed it under my mattress. I slipped under the covers. The sun rays beamed on me, pouring into my room.

…

_if Gato was already dead by time of my seduction mission… and Team Seven was recommended into the Konoha's Chuunin Exams shortly after… _

….

I shot up into my bed, my blanket spilling off my body. I gasped. The Chuunin Exams! They're coming up!

I quickly buttoned up my sleeveless qipao-style shirt, ran downstairs, and slipped on my shoes. I didn't say my farewells to my family. I sprinted out the door, running through the streets as fast as I could.

_Yasa-sensei… Yoshino-sensei… where are you? _I thought as I ran throughout the street, dancing around pedestrians and their food stands.

If the Chuunin Exams were coming up, that meant I was screwed. I had no special skills whatsoever. I was average, if not _below average_ in taijutsu, I only knew Academy ninjutsu, and my genjutsu skills - or lack thereof - was something to laugh over dinner about.

I couldn't be like Sakura at the Chuunin Exams. I _had _to do something; I just _had _to. I thought I had more time. I counted on my fingers - I estimated I had two months, three at most, to prepare and train.

No wonder the Chuunin were almost always gone; they were preparing for the Exams! I hadn't connected it, but now that I thought back to the time frame, it seemed plausible.

After a few minutes of pointless searching, I stopped, panting heavily. What was _wrong _with me? I had moved; my brain didn't tell me too, my legs just _moved_, and it was irrational. It was totally possible that my teacher wouldn't recommend us for the Exams. I'd be okay. It'd be okay.

_**(… but what if?)**_

That tiny little thought kept my legs moving again, although slower this time. I wouldn't be a weak link; I wouldn't have to be some "flower" that my teammates would have to protect all the time from wilting. My fists clenched. I'd train and train, even if we weren't recommended; and I'd train _even harder. _

And I knew just how to 'train' without an instructor.

* * *

My library was seemingly my new hangout. I greeted the librarian - who I now knew her name was Chikatsu Aiko - and immediately delved into the Shinobi Section.

A quick check of my hitai-ate and my ninja ID sufficed. I wandered into the bright area, my eyes wide and my mouth open. This was the first time I was here _alone. _

I couldn't delve into insignificant books, however. I had to do something important. In the meantime while Yasa is busy training Ibo and Hamu was enhancing his sensory abilities with Zaji, I couldn't just sit there and do nothing. I had to _read_.

I thumbed through the book spines, looking for something that'd fit my criteria. Earlier yesterday, she had asked me about what I wanted to specialize in. I had thought to not specialize in taijutsu, ninjutsu (which I was contradicting my thoughts), genjutsu (the reason why is obvious), fuuinjutsu, buukijutsu, or kenjutsu.

Unfortunately, even as I rummaged through the books that I could understand, I couldn't find any other branch of jutsu that would fit _me_. I thought it as similar to Harry Potter's wand choosing; the wand chooses the wizard. In this case, the branch of jutsu chooses _me_.

I gave up and decided to use my time to self train; I could kick some logs or practice on my chakra control.

I shouldered my bag and sighed. My time was wasted, and I was a bit frustrated. I was the dead weight of the group.

Hamu had sensory training and summoning techniques; Ibo had the Yamanaka Hidden Techniques and elemental training. What did I have? I wasn't training. Yoshino was putting my training to a halt because of the Mizukage's sudden death. I was forced to train by myself, and I couldn't even do that when I didn't have a specialty. I didn't have kekkei genkai, clan, or family techniques to rely on.

I sighed gloomily as I slipped a book back into its place on a shelf, my mind running. Frustration built and tears brimmed my ears. My nails dug into my palms and I felt angry at everyone; Yasa, Yoshino, Ibo, Hamu, _myself. _Why was Yasa exclusively training Ibo? Why was Yoshino gone? Why was Ibo getting special treatment? Why was Hamu able to be strong - a boy who's clan is outcasted and deemed as dirty, useless, and irrelevant - but _I, _a kunoichi from a relatively normal, good civilian family, is weak?

Before I knew it, tears were falling down my face and my fist flew to its victim - a bookshelf. A book slipped out and crashed to the floor, but I ignored it.

"_Kuso_," I cursed in frustration. "_Kuso, kuso, kuso! __**(1)**_"

The Chuunin Exams were in a few months, and I wouldn't even be able to do anything if Team Yasa was recommended. And it was because I was _weak_.

**(... **_**give up**_…)

A soft, small voice in my head soothingly suggested.

My head snapped up, tears jumping, and my eyes widened. I give up…? That would make my family happy. Like Yoshino said, I'd be making my family happy. They'd be able to sleep at night knowing that their daughter (or sister)'s only legacy would be safe.

My eyes hardened and I squared my shoulders as I shoved that thought away. _No. _I've come too far; I went on too many missions and was nearly killed or seriously harmed _twice_. I couldn't drop everything now. I was here - I was a kunoichi to protect my _family _from the upcoming events.

But I didn't even know how to do _that_.

I felt annoyed once again, and I scrapped off my tears with my bag. Dropping it to the floor, I slumped down and buried my head in my knees.

"You know," I heard a familiar voice, "you could've gone to your _sensei_ if you felt so down…"

My head jerked up and my eyes widened once more as I stared up at Nara Yoshino.

"For a few hours I'm gone…" she mumbled, kneeling down to reach my crouched height. "What's wrong?"

"I've got to get stronger - _fast_." I mumbled into my hands, too ashamed to meet her gaze.

"Ichigo…" she trailed off, biting her lip. "Don't you know that you can't get strong in one day? The strongest ninja had _years _and _years _of experience to help them. Look at Sandaime; he's old and strong. Do you think he got strong in under twelve hours?"

My bottom lip quivered and I looked away.

"Exactly. Now, I had to tend to a clan meeting since my husband is gone in a Council meeting with the Hokage and other important shinobi, but I'm here now. Have you chosen your specialty?"

"About that," I began, rising from my position, "I don't think I should learn to master this water technique. It takes too long to master and a ninjutsu specialist isn't something I want to specialize in in the future."

She blinked, then smirked.

"That's… that's good," she said, "because I have an idea on what to specialize in." She paused for dramatic effect. "Intelligence gathering."

I dusted of my baggy pants and stared up at her, perplexed. "In… Intelligence gathering? What d'you mean?"

"This is not something you can master overnight; you'll have to go through a bunch of instructors, and you'll be worked to the bone. You'll have to study the quirks of the human brain - essentially, psychology - and body language. Because you're a civilian kid, it'll be even _harder _for you to be even considered by a simple elite Chuunin.

"On _top _of that, it's extremely hard to get 'into'. It may take years to master, and it's not quick. Are you _sure _you want to get into it?"

I chewed on my lip, my eyes narrowing. I didn't even know what she was _talking _about, and I needed strength _right now. _

"Yoshino-sensei," I said, "why do you think I should specialize in this?"

Yoshino smirked once again.

"Ah, that's the question I wanted to hear. I feel as if you use your intelligence in a different way than many fodder Genin. Although you are not as strong as your two other teammates and not as intelligent as the Yamanaka on your team, I feel as if you use it in a unique way. While it's true, many _children _Nara are far more superior on an intellectual level than you, you're able to soak in information easily and use it in the right places."

I flushed at her praise.

"I'm… I want to do this, Yoshino-sensei. But - "

"Good. Getting a recommendation from me will make it easier, but not by much - you need to start stacking on your studies with the mind - "

"-I want to get stronger!" I interjected. "Yoshino-sensei, how'll I protect my family, my team - _Konoha _\- if all I know what to do is gather secrets?" I crossed my arms.

Yoshino's nostrils flared momentarily and her hands grasped my shoulders.

"Ichigo, when I say 'intelligence gathering' I mean working at Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force. I mean working with Morino Ibiki and Yamanaka Inoichi. You'll be literally _delving _into the minds of enemies, opponents, and suspects if you master this. You'll be able to _read someone's mind. _This is not to be taken lightly.

"Since my brief retirement from the shinobi business, there has not been a female yet to be apart of the Konohagakure's T&amp;I force. With your interest in this, this can be quickly changed. Imagine you - a civilian goody two shoes - being hired into the T&amp;I force, becoming the first civilian-born _female_.

"This is not some light matter. You will not be the dead weight of your team. You'll be _essential _for Team Yasa to thrive if you agree to train for this. If you agree, Ichigo, you can make Team Yasa the most formidable team of your year, possibly of _this generation_."

My eyes widened throughout Yoshino's speech, and my jaw dropped. She was promising me power. It may not be physical power, like Rock Lee or Hikari, but it was _power. _If I took part in this… I wouldn't need to partake in seduction missions.

I would be working with _Ibiki Morino_.

"Yes," I said quickly, "_yes, yes, yes_!"

Yoshino's lips quirked into a smile.

"That's what I thought," she murmured. "This'll be a hard quest for power and strength. Do not forget that members of the T&amp;I force are not only mentally strong; they must have some sort of skill in taijutsu, genjutsu, or ninjutsu, else they'll be useless in the field, lest you want to be behind the scenes."

I shook my head vigorously, and Yoshino's eyes warmed.

"I'm not the best person to be teaching taijutsu, and since you don't want to master the Water technique, I'm sure I can arrange something with Yasa or Zaji. Perhaps they'll enjoy joint training? Other Chuunin and Jounin are far too busy preparing for… something." Yoshino trailed off, and I knew what that 'something' was. Chuunin Exams.

I licked my lips.

"Alright, Yoshino-sensei! Just give me the books, and I'll read up on it!"

Yoshino grinned - for the first time we've met.

"That's what I like to hear." Her hand rose, as if to ruffle my hair, but she hesitated. Her grin faded and her eyes grew serious. She dug her hands into her pockets and sighed.

"Let's… let's go check out some books, ne?"

I cocked an eyebrow at her odd, hesitant behavior. I shrugged off her momentary, brief gaffe.

I nodded heartily, excited that someone of 'high' status had _faith _in me - besides Yasa - and I had a specialty under my belt. She promised me power, and I made a promise to _myself _to fulfill her goals for me.

* * *

Yoshino sighed as her temporary student departed off to her home, a mountain-tall stack of books cradling in her arms. She was tired from leading a clan meeting, cooking, and now giving a small motivational speech to an insecure Genin. She desperately wanted a bath and mackerel.

As she turned to depart from the Library, a figure 'teleported' in front of her. Yoshino had expected it and she sucked her teeth.

"What do you want _now_?"

The figure laughed jovially.

"Yoshino-senpai! Are you not excited to see me?" The figure sniffed.

"Get to the point. What do you want? I want to get home," Yoshino said.

The figure sighed. "Ah, and I thought you loved me, Yoshino-senpai. I couldn't help but overhear you and your new apprentice in the library. You want to recommend her for training at the Torture and Interrogation force? She looks like a cute, little Genin!"

Yoshino gave the figure a grim smile.

"That's where you're wrong. She may look cute, but she's been through some stuff - for a civilian Genin. Anyways, she's not my apprentice. She's Yasa's student and I'm her temporary sensei. Aren't you supposed to be preparing for the Chuunin Exams?"

"I just want to know why you're recommending _her_. Why not a Nara, one from your clan, who has more intellectual quality than this fodder Genin?" The shinobi smoothly avoided Yoshino's snide question.

"I have faith in her intelligence and her use of it. She as potential. But that's not the only reason why." Yoshino gave the familiar figure a grim look. "I have reason to suspect something's fishy with this girl's family history. I feel as if I were to recommend her to Ibiki, it might all unfold."

"Hm. So, you think if you were to allow this Genin to go through training for Konoha's T&amp;I, her secret may be revealed? That seems like a reach, but if you're that desperate."

Yoshino sighed, turning away from the figure.

"It's late. Go home."

The figure's teeth were revealed in a characteristic grin.

"As you wish, Yoshino-senapi."

The figure abruptly whirled around and leaped away in an efficient speed.

Yoshino hugged herself, smirking.

"Shut up, Anko," she mumbled and walked off.

* * *

**Note:** this chapter is def not my fave. I honestly do not like it, with introduction of random characters. Don't worry, Anko's appearance was simply used to explain Yoshino's motives. She won't hold any importance or significance for Ichigo's training life or personal life.

This abrupt decision for Ichigo's specialty was sudden for me, too. I recently decided it. When I first outlined this story, I envisioned Ichigo to learn a bunch of water jutsus, but as I began to rewatch the series, I realized that learning jutsu wasn't as quick as they illustrated it to be; it was probably due to Naruto's shadow clones, abundant amount of chakra, and strong, steely will that helped him master any jutsu in a few weeks. I mean, he mastered an A rank jutsu in _three _days that took the Fourth fucking Hokage _three years _to master. Anyways, I wanted Ichigo to then become a fuuinjutsu master, but fuuinjutsu wasn't touched during the animanga, so I couldn't really base/write her training time and learning experience, so I settled on the T&amp;I force. It fit with her teammates and team specialty and made her strong in her own way.

ALSO, I'm doing a Q&amp;A during each chapter! PM me or comment ur question in the reviews and I'll answer it in every chapter! thanks for reading xoxo


	21. 目的 (GOAL)

**苺 ****\- Strawberry**

**(A**_**rc 111: Tertius arc)**_

**Chapter Twenty One: ****目的****)** **GOAL **

* * *

Training busied me for the next two months; it altered between Yasa and Yoshino. Yasa had also trained us as a team for a few times out of the week to reestablish our bond and our teamwork. We went over the basis and were working on a new battle formation. Yasa was also hesitant to approve my request to train into the Intelligence Division. I would never forget his look. His smile faded and his lips were set into a grim line. His bright eyes darkened with an unidentifiable look as he talked to Yoshino. He quickly concealed it, but I caught his look. I had fidgeted around, chewing on my nails as my gaze bore into his head, and my heart dropped. What was so wrong with the Intelligence division that made people shudder?

Yoshino had focused on my chakra control, which was subpar, the least. I knew how to climb trees and walk on water to a certain extent, but it was still difficult for me to control it for many hours. This simply means that medical ninjutsu or fuuinjutsu was nearly impossible for me to pursue. I had to work on chakra control to perform the hiden ninjutsu that was required for all members of the Intelligence Division.

I also worked prominently on my taijutsu. Squaring off with an elite Chuunin was difficult, and it led me to limp home with tender limbs, scratches, wounds, and even bloody noses. Most of the time, though, I'd hang out at the clinic/hospital for a quick fix at my injuries.

I respected Yoshino. Not only was she a mother and wife to the head of the Nara clan - which means if Shikaku was too busy to run the clan and its problems, she'd have to take over the reins of attending to the clan - she was also training me temporarily. She was an excellent taijutsu specialist, she was analytical and intelligent. She forced me to reawaken my love for books and informational articles. She intentionally made me adapt to analytical traits.

"What are you thinking about, Ichigo?" I heard Yoshino's sharp voice.

I glanced up from my thoughts.

"Ah, nothing, Yoshino-sensei. I've finished the article you had me read on the _**Arts of Espionage**_."

"Thoughts?" she inquired as she tightened her dark hair into a ponytail.

The sun beamed on my back and the scent of wet grass, pond, and dampened tree bark wafted through the air. I stretched my limbs and cracked my neck.

"It was… interesting, if anything, a little _sexist_," I finally replied after hesitation.

"Oh? Why is that?" she asked me, looking interested as she cracked my knuckles.

I licked my lips, stumbling to find the appropriate words.

"The article written by a man - who I later looked up and found out he had similiar misogynistic articles. He seems to believe that espionage missions should be sexually motivated - say, a seduction mission - and performed by only women. I reached this conclusion by his persistent use of 'females'. He never mentioned males, who also perform sexual espionage missions."

"You must've noticed that shinobi who perform those missions are rare, and it's very rare, correct?" Yoshino stopped stretching.

I grimaced.

"I have… and I find it a little frightening. These seduction missions seem to teach shinobi (and kunoichi alike) that women are simple sex objects. They are assigned these seduction missions more often than male shinobi and they are seen as just a… a _sex tool_ to tempt the client into revealing information. Isn't there a better way to leak information? Reading the minds? Utilizing fear? Leaking killing intent into giving away information? _Genjutsu_?

"It also seems a bit odd that the seduction missions are often female and male - the female seducing the male client. Imagine what that looks like: while the male shinobi is off fighting enemies and using their raw strength - or chakra - the women are _fucking_ an influential male just to gain secrets. Many times these missions are assigned against the kunoichi's will. I find it absolutely _vile_."

A flock of birds flapped over the trees, and a breeze cruised through us.

Yoshino's lips quirked into a smirk and she sighed loudly.

"Ichigo… you went through your first seduction mission a few months ago, right?"

I pursed my lips, and my eyes lowered.

_his lustful looks, his hands all over me, my - __**his… his **__sword sunken deep into his stomach, hIS BLOOD dripping over my hands, sprayed my face - it got into my hair, it took forever to wash it off…._

"Yes." I said shakily. "I did."

Yoshino's smirk faded and her eyes grew hard and serious.

"Get into the stance I taught you," she ordered abruptly, and I swallowed as I obeyed her order. She charged without preamble, and I barely prepared myself for her punch. She was holding back, and I was grateful. I blocked her punch in an _X _cross in front of my face. She didn't wait, and her fist flew to my stomach. I coughed up saliva as I doubled over, feeling my breakfast fly up.

"Remember what I told you, Ichigo," Yoshino growled sharply - "never leave your stomach - especially your solar plexus - open. Block my fists with your hands. Don't duck when they're coming to your face, because they might kick you."

I nodded, climbing to my feet as she charged again. I ducked as a kick flew to my shoulder, and her knee connected with the side of my head as I rolled over. My vision went blurry for a second, and I did a somersault once more as she charged at me once again.

I breathed heavily and decided to take the initiative for once; I charged at _her. _Yoshino was momentarily stunned at my boldness, but like the talented elite chuunin she was, she recovered quickly and prepared to block my weak punches. I decided to dip low for the kick to her shins, but she jumped in time. I quickly withdrew my legs - to prevent her feet from slamming down onto it - by twirling around and getting to my feet shakily. She didn't say anything as I stared at her, distancing myself from her.

_She wasn't that much taller than me - she was a few inches taller, which was advantageous, and she weighed more than me. I could go for her solar plexus, but that is easy to dodge. I could perhaps go for a false kick to the stomach and clamp onto her body? _It was a risky plan, but I was ready to go through with it. I charged at her once more, and she blew a loose strand of brown hair out her eyes as she got into a defensive stance. Using a tiny amount of chakra into my feet to jump higher, I aimed a kick at the side of her head. She side stepped it easily, and I grimaced. I wasn't able to go through with my plan.

I tried once more. I crouched low, aiming for her shins once more. She didn't move as wrapped my fingers around them, but she instead crouched low as well and dug her elbow into my back. I instantly collapsed, pain shooting through my body, and moaned in pain.

"That's enough," she said breathlessly. "I might've gone a bit overboard, but you know."

I rolled around in the grass, clutching my back in pain.

"You think?!" I shouted.

She chuckled and manuevered over to me.

"You've… you've improved," she said reluctantly, "your reflexes have made a huge improvement, you've become more tactical, and you decided to become more bold and take the initiative."

I struggled to grin.

"I'll take you to the clinic, but then we're going right back out to the field."

"_Again_?" I moaned.

"You won't become a good kunoichi if you're lazy," she replied sharply. "Anyways, you have a goal, don't you?"

I peered up at her curiously.

"I do?" I raised an eyebrow.

For the first time in a few days, she grinned.

"Yeah. You want to end the injustice towards kunoichis in the shinobi system, don't you?"

My eyes widened, and this time, a grin split my face.

* * *

"What happened _this _time?" Kusushi, the medical nin asked. He wore spectacles and had obsidian eyes; he had an East Asian appearance. He wore the standard medical nin uniform: high collar, full beige body uniform and head gear that covered their entire head - hair, ears, etc. Judging from his eyebrow color, he had black hair.

Kusushi treated most of my minor injuries, although he boasted about going out into the battlezone and treating shinobi's injuries while from a mission.

"I was resigned to the hospital, however, due to my own injury." he had told me once. He frowned and never mentioned it again.

Kusushi was nice most of the time, and funny, too. He was also intelligent and seemed to have a crush on Yoshino - despite Kusushi being around his early mid twenties.

"Yoshino-sensei injured my back," I mumbled.

"Nothing that'd cause permanent damage of paralyzation," Yoshino explained, huffing.

Kusushi giggled.

"Nothing else I'd expect from Yoshino-senpai!"

I internally vomited.

Kusushi treated the pain from my back, but warned me of temporary bruising. Yoshino thanked him - he blushed fiercely - and we went out to the Training Grounds.

"What are we doing now, Yoshino-sensei?" I asked.

"Meditating," Yoshino answered clippedly.

"Why?" I asked, frowning. Yoshino recommended meditating as a quick, efficient and easy way to train, but I did it only a few times since it was so boring. I didn't even think I did it right.

Back in my old, original life, I've heard of meditating, but I never tried it. My family was awfully religious, and my mother told me that if I meditated, I'd cross over to the spirit realm and never come back.

"What do you know about chakra?" Yoshino asked, skirting around my question. I frowned again, but licked my lips as I recalled back to the novel of chakra theory I read and basic chakra facts taught to us in the academy.

"Chakra is the source of life for everything," I started off, chewing on my nails. That always confused me. In my old world, chakra wasn't so much the source of life; chakra didn't even exist to some people of differing religions. In fact, it was blood that acted as 'chakra'; blood was our energy and the source of everything. In the Naruto dimension, _chakra _was the source. If we depleted our chakra, we'd die - similar to if we lost too much blood.

"Chakra is the moulding of… physical energy and mental energy; the latter is known as spiritual energy."

"Now, Ichigo," Yoshino began as she sat down on them (now) soft grass, crossing her legs, "meditating is the ideal, perfect way to increase your spiritual energy. Of course, you already have more spiritual energy than usual."

She frowned, growing more serious.

"Now, while this may seem as a disadvantage at most - unable to dispel or perform genjutsus which can become a hindrance against genjutsu specialists or users, unable to have precise and perfect chakra control which ultimately means having trouble being a med nin or fuuinjutsu specialist - this is seem as interesting and _extremely _rare in the shinobi society. I advise that you do not spread this information to prevent… unwanted attention."

I shifted uneasily and sat down cross legged. I nodded firmly.

She rested her hands on her knees and breathed.

"Together, we will meditate for twenty minutes."

I sucked my teeth, and Yoshino's eyes popped open.

"What's the problem?" She gritted out.

"What am I gonna do for _twenty_ minutes?"

Yoshino rolled her brown eyes.

"I'll tell you what _to do_. Clear your mind; don't think of anything or you won't meditate properly. Focus on your breathing and follow the pattern of breaths. Or, like many shinobi do, repeat a mantra: the common phrases that are constantly repeated is '_om'." _

I nodded, decided to pick the former since it would be easiest for me.

"We'll do this thrice a week, then repeat this technique more often. _**Wakatta**_?"

I nodded once more and straightened my posture.

"Start!"

* * *

I've never tried meditating before. I won't spare you the boring details of the process of reaching the deeper state of consciousness, but I _can _tell you the sensations. I felt a ticklish sensation near my heart; I felt blood rushing through my veins and my heart pumping blood throughout my body. It was frightening yet I was tempted to continue doing it.

When I felt a flick on my forehead, I slowly rose out my relaxing stupor.

"Had fun?" Yoshino's face peered over mine.

I blinked rapidly, wiping my lips with the back of my hand.

"I guess," I mumbled. "It's weird."

"This concludes our training day." Yoshino said, rising to her feet. "Meet me at the library tomorrow. There's someone I want you to meet."

Curious and perplexed, I gave her a simple nod, got to my feet, and slung my bag over my shoulder.

"See you tomorrow!" I yelled, waving wildly at Yoshino's back. Yoshino rose her hand lazily in parting, and we parted our separate ways.

* * *

The soft sound of rain lightly drizzling across the sky filled Morino Ibiki's ears, and it made him annoyed. He was hungry, but he obviously wasn't going anywhere, what with that abundant stack of paperwork piling on top of his desk like a fuckin' mountain.

The best his new Chuunin intern can come up with - without leaving the facility - was coffee, but he wasn't in the mood. Yet, he gulped it down, the heat burning his tongue and the bitter aftertaste never leaving his mouth.

As he sifted through the paperwork, he came across one slip of paper - stained with mitarashi sauce. He drummed his gloved fingers on the wooden desk, deciding that he should fire his intern. As he was about to call his intern and ask her what was the meaning of this, his eyes scanned the words on the short slip of paper and was taken aback.

" (The Snake) glides so swiftly

Back into the grass-

Gives me the courtesy of road

To let me pass,

That I am half ashamed

To seek a stone

To kill him. "

Ibiki's eyes furrow with confusion. It seemed like a poem, right?

Ibiki reread the poem thrice, before calling down his airheaded Chuunin intern. She did have a thing for poems, right?

However, something settled down unto him - he had a bad, awful premonition that this note was awfully important and was a key component to something… _(...what was he missing?_). Those gut feelings were almost always accurate.

_(... there's a first time for everything…) _

* * *

**Author's note: **I'm soooo sorry I have not updated in a week + this chapter is rather short (and boring)! It basically just summarizes Ichigo and Yoshino's training. Also, the ending scene is sort of significant. thank you for reading xx - hyugaki


	22. 向日葵 (HIMAWARI)

**苺 ****\- Strawberry**

**(A**_**rc 111: Tertius arc)**_

**Chapter Twenty Two: ****向日葵 ****(HIMAWARI)**

* * *

The days were the same. Getting beaten up my Yoshino, brief hospital trips, meditation, then spending short-lived time with my family at the teahouse. I went to bed with nightmare-less nights, and the months were pleasurable; I'd rather not endure false, terrifyingly real nightmares where I encountered either a charred Saisho growling at me for vengeance or a bloody, gutted up Don'yoku. My 'dreams' were vivid and gory, to the point of close to puking when I woke up.

Finally, after a few months of being stalled, we were assigned a mission.

When I informed Yoshino, she chewed on her bottom lip briefly before whirling around.

"What's your mission on?" she inquired.

I put a finger on my chin.

* * *

"_Team Yasa. It's been awhile since your last C-rank mission," the withering, old Hokage informed us. _

"_My kids are dying for some excitement," Yasa grinned nervously, "all they've been doing is training!" _

_A smile quirked Hiruzen's lips, and he bowed his head. _

_An unidentifiable Chuunin gave Yasa a dark blue scroll with the kanji for _C Rank.

_I swallowed as Yasa thanked him and unwrapped the scroll. His green eyes scanned the scroll and gave him a polite nod. _

_We bowed and quickly exited the room. _

"_Well?" Hamu asked expectantly, "what is it?" _

"_Hokage-sama is very merciful," Yasa said. "He knows of the situation - you guys have been apart for a long time, and see each other thrice a week. This mission requires team work." _

_I took the scroll and read it with my teammates. _

**CLIENT: **

_Izumi Himawari _

**MISSION SUMMARY:**

_Escort Himawari to Hanagakure and locate a herb seed safely without death or severe injuries. _

**REWARD:**

5,800 ryō each)

I sucked my teeth at the cheap reward fund, but I could live with it. It was paid almost as much as an average D-Rank mission.

"Izumi Himawari? Who's that?" Ibo asked.

"Probably someone not influential if they're not famous," I concluded. Ibo frowned in response.

"I'm excited, yet curious for this mission," He finally said. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning we embark on this mission. I'll presume it's short, but we'll want to get there early, so we'll leave at around 0530 hours. Got it?"

We nodded.

"Now, we're all going to train together - as a _team!_"

"One question, sensei," I raised my hand. "Why did they pick _us_? This seems better suited for a fresh Chuunin, does it not?"

"Well, you guys are adept at finding things…" he trailed off, realizing the explanation would be difficult. "Well… finding _people_, more like it, what with the sensory nin on your team who can summon rats who simultaneously sense chakra and can infiltrate bases… also you have another team member who can possess others…" he scratched his head. "Well, it's the Hokage's logic, so whatever he thinks is right, it is - okay?"

"More like the Chuunin and skilled Jounin were all too busy so the Hokage just pulled random teams from a hat," Hamu mumbled under his breath to us. Yasa's ears twitched, and he flushed.

"Alright, that's enough," he said as we exited the Hokage tower. "I've decided to implement Gai-senpai's training methods into ours as punishment. For your teammate's cheek, you guys will do _twenty laps around Konoha_." he snickered behind a bandage wrapped hand.

Hamu groaned.

"Do ya' know how _big _that is?" he slumped.

I rolled my eyes, twisting my back and bending my legs to stretch.

"First one to reach me - who'll be waiting for you at the dango stand - will learn a new jutsu from me."

That sent us running. My legs moved on their own accord, and I was sprinting as fast as I could through the market.

* * *

When I reached the dango stand first with my teammates hot on my trail, I was perplexed. To be honest, Hamu and Ibo were stronger than me. Was it because I inserted more chakra into the soles of my feet to enhance my speed? Or was it perhaps because I was playing dirty, shoving Ibo into random civilian women and kicking the back of Hamu's heels?

Whatever it was, I _won_ the race, although I was winded and breathing heavily. I knelt down, clutching my chest as I heaved deep breaths.

Yasa frowned.

"Your stamina is horrendous, Ichigo," he remarked concernedly. "Yoshino has been giving me weekly reports of your training, and she claims she's given up on the idea of you becoming a ninjutsu user - she's training you in taijutsu, is she not?"

I nodded, swallowing hard.

"We'll work on your stamina and chakra pools," he decided. "Since Ichigo has won fair and square - " - this procured angry yells, stomps, and protests from Ibo and Hamu "-she'll learn a new jutsu."

I was excited, yet nervous. Would it be elemental-based? Or was it genjutsu? Was Yasa still trying to attempt to have me 'break' into my genjutsu problem?

"Wait a minute," Ibo interrupted, "how'd you get here so fast? We ran off before you left, but yet you got here before us. Was it the Shu - "

"Yes, you're correct," Yasa gave Ibo a goofy grin. "Ichigo will be learning the _Shunshin no Jutsu_."

Hamu made a strangled noise in the back of his throat and Ibo bitterly spat into the soil.

I grinned.

_**Shunshin no Jutsu, or the Body Flicker Technique, is a simple technique to where the user seemingly 'teleports' - - in reality, the user is using a fixed amount of chakra to transport themselves at high speeds. The user can use a variety of methods to either mask their appearance or mark their trace. For example, a Leaf nin may use a swirl of leaves; Kumo nin may leave in a blink of lightning, a Mist will disappear in droplets of water, and so on. Universally, all shinobi from all villages can use smoke. **_

I recited mentally.

"However, Ichigo, this'll have to wait until after the mission. This is a D-rank type jutsu. It's general, and it requires basic chakra control. Even the Honorable Grandson may be able to master this technique."

I nodded firmly.

"Got it!" I replied, and he grinned.

"Good. You all are dismissed. I want you all to pack - remember, pack the necessities. Food pills if necessary, though I highly doubt it, but you never know; change of clothes and underwear, ointment, etcetera."

We all nodded and chorused, "_Hai_!"

Yasa grinned, staring over us with pride. Finally, he nodded, and in a swirl of leaves, he flickered away.

I turned to my team.

"I'll see you later, okay? I hope this mission… isn't like the others."

Ibo shouldered his pack, giving me a grim look.

"If it is, Ichigo - you won't be alone. We've gotten stronger. We'll be okay."

I didn't believe him, but I nodded.

"No splitting up. We're a _team_," Hamu added.

We stood together in a small, tight circle. After a pregnant pause, we said our goodbyes and departed our separate ways.

* * *

The Mist was absolute _shit. _There was waters everywhere - swamps, even - and traveling through places with sandals where there were puddles situated and concealed wasn't a good mix.

Sarutobi Hikari was absolutely sure this fog wasn't good for her skin, either. There were a bunch of mosquitos, she didn't have Byakugan, and a frog just fucking hopped across her toe and she was so ready to get home.

She finally arrived at the Mist village with her temporary team. The Jounin, Aburame Muta, stiffened, and Hikari's heart pounded in her chest. Her fingers flew to her weapons' pouch, but she heard a smooth, husky voice: "It's alright… no need to get a lil' rowdy…"

Hikari went rigid and she gritted her teeth. Here she was, crouched in a tree branch, the fog growing thicker and her heart beating fast, and someone concealed in the fog told her to not get _rowdy. _

_Calm down, Hikari… calm down… _

Taking a few deep breaths, Hikari spoke.

"We are a team sent by a Leaf to deliver a few personal paperwork regarding the Mizukage's death. Who are you?"

Finally, the figure appeared through the Mist. Their fingers were glued together in a _tora _seal, and they appeared strong enough to control the fog. Their faces were concealed with a hitai-ate and they were staring down at their shoes. Was this not apart of the Mist's natural habitat, but it was instead this person's _jutsu_?

Hikari glanced at her team from the corner of her eye. The two Chuunins stiffened slightly, and Muta's fingers remained inside his pouch. They were all on guard and suspicious. This person was strong enough to completely master a jutsu to conceal themselves and the enemies vision. And _why _didn't Muta's bugs sense their chakra?

"Ah, and here I thought you all were breaching our borders. This is a politically motivated mission, isn't it? You Konoha scum don't miss a beat, don't ya?"

Hikari's nose cringed at the insult the figure inserted.

"Excuse us," she said tightly. "May we go?"

The Mist shinobi grinned.

"Ah. My apologies for letting my anger get in the way of my manners. You may pass." they sidestepped easily, and her team said nothing as they jumped from the tree, walking past the mysterious shinobi.

As Hikari past her, she studied her to get a quick, good look. They lifted their hitai-ate to reciprocate the action, and their eyes met. The Mist shinobi's eyes were a frosty blue and purple lips quirked up into an eerie grin. Their legs were covered in bandages and an unfamiliar clan symbol was tattooed across their face.

The weird thing was - those eerie, scary eyes were spookily familiar to someone Hikari knew.

* * *

A flock of birds soared past us in the dimly lit sky. I rubbed my eyes, attempting to rub the last bit of sleep clinging to my eyelids. I pinched my cheeks in an attempt to wake myself up.

"_Ohayo_," Ibo mumbled as he stretched.

Hamu greeted him back and nodded to me. I decided to take Ibo's non-verbal advice and stretch myself. Although I doubt we'd run into any bandits, I wouldn't take my chances of cramping up in the middle of the fight; besides, it was a great way to stretch out my muscles.

In a swirl of leaves and a quick action I can only describe as a flicker, Yasa appeared, clad in his Jounin armor, bandages, and hitai-ate proudly tied around his forehead. Running his fingers through his peach colored hair, Yasa opened his emerald eyes and grinned predatorily.

"We're ready!"

…

We looked at him, cocking our eyebrows.

Hamu snorted. "What was up with that flashy display? All we're doing is escorting some random nobody to some nobody village. Stop acting like you're going to war."

Yasa slumped instantly. "Shut up, Hamu-_chan_. Stop being bitter that I'm not teaching you the Shunshin technique."

Hamu's ears reddened, and he spluttered for a minute, almost dropping his pack.

Hamu stiffened suddenly and whirled around. I followed his lead, and behind us was a young woman with magenta hair tied into a high bun. Her periwinkle eyes contrasted with her hair, and her brown skin suggest being native to a country exposed with plenty of light. She wore a black top that exposed her midriff. She wore fishnets all over her body, and wore beige sandals and wore a cut turtleneck.

She placed a hand on her hip and smirked.

"Do y'all like what ya see?" she drawled sultrily, and I blinked rapidly. … _what?! _

"With all due respect, ma'am," Ibo inserted, "you are our client, and we are here to complete the mission you filed to our Kage. This is a professional relationship."

"Did I ever say it wasn't?" The girl - Himawari, our client - replied, cocking her head. Ibo's eyes bulged at Himawari's audacity, but shut his mouth.

Yasa chuckled lightly, whirling around to face the gates. We had already showed the mission scroll and our ninja registration to the two Chuunin on guard duty, so we were cleared to continue with our mission.

"So, uh - " Hamu cleared his throat, "according to the mission, it says we are to escort you to Hanagakure and help you find this… this herb…? What is it?"

"None of your business," Himawari said bluntly, walking straight ahead.

I bit my lip at her rudeness, but said nothing.

"What d'ya mean it's none of my business? _I'm _the one walking a week's worth to Hanagakure, so I _should_ know what the fuc - "

Yasa slammed his hand on Hamu's shoulder and shook his head. Hamu instantly quieted down, but crossed his arms and put on a mean face.

Himawari rolled her eyes.

"Since you got in trouble with your instructor, I'll tell you. This herb has been missing for decades. I'm not even sure if it's real or a myth. But if it's found, I can be rewarded a meaty sum of money and…" she lowered her head theatrically, then abruptly looked up passionately, "_bring honor to my village!"_

There was a pregnant pause, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. _Oh, where have I heard that recycled "bring honor to blahblah" before? It was such a recurring theme and purpose in Naruto, it became boring. _

"That's… nice," I said slowly. "What is this… herb?"

"It's not really a herb," Himawari said as she fought through large, leafy plants. One smacked her in the face, and she sighed. "It's more of a… flower… that helps heal sickness…" she trailed off, struggling to find the words to describe it.

Suddenly, we halted in the middle of the forest. Yasa had stopped us, and he gave Himawari an icy glare. I've never seen him look at a person like that before - besides when he stared at Don'yoku's corpse. _**(don't think about it, don't think about it…)**_

"Explain." Yasa ordered menacingly. He didn't have to leak out any killing intent for Himawari to fess up.

"Fine. But I'll explain as we walk, alright?"

Himawari chewed on her fingernails as she stepped over a fallen tree branch.

"I'm sure you've heard of the _**Ekirei no Hanagakure**_?" she inquired, glancing around.

Yasa furrowed his eyebrows, but nodded.

"I suppose, though my memory is a bit foggy, and I doubt my students know. Would you care to refresh our memory?"

Himawari nodded hesitantly.

"The _**Ekirei no Hanagakure **_was an infamous, horrible plague that occurred in Hanagakure. Medics were unsure what was causing this plague, but it was spreading around fast. For you to understand the present, you must know of history.

"Hanagakure was originally a Hidden Village. Shinobi were dominating the population, the economy was booming due to our exports of plants and flowers. However, after the Second Shinobi World War, the population decreased in our already small village.

"Soon, there were more civilians than shinobi, and our honor was fading away. However, it completely disappeared with that forsaken plague."

Himawari sighed as she stepped over another fallen branch, and I frowned.

"It was horrible. The plague started a few months after the Second war, so I was not born. Many of our people - shinobi and civilians alike - began dropping dead out of nowhere. It was unexplainable, and we couldn't even gain support from the big villages because they had their own problems recovering after the war.

"Tales spread about that one woman brought glory to Hanagakure. She had found a plant that'd cure the entire village of this plague. Although many died, plenty lived and the village celebrated; although Hanagakure's honor has since then faded away due to its weakness and lack of exports - the plants were affected, too - we still rejoiced.

"However, the plague has mysteriously came back and some of the villagers do not believe in the _**Densetsu Konohanasakuya-hime**_, and do not believe they can be cured. Because most of the villagers don't believe in that tale, they won't help me organize a search mission for the plant."

She finished her tale with a shaky breath, and turned to glance at us.

We were silent, and I thought over what she said. It was interesting - I've never heard of Hanagakure or any of this in the anime or manga. It wasn't even filler, but yet, I was hooked. Excitement flowed through me. This was exciting; it was as if I was like Naruto, going on missions. It was as if I were on my couch, wrapped in a blanket, watching a Naruto filler; except I'm _living _through out.

Yasa was the first to speak.

"Himawari-san," he began, "this plant… how do you know it's real?"

"It is real," she said firmly. "All it takes is faith and hope. If it isn't real, how do you propose the plague was cured the first time?"

Yasa shook off her question with one of his own. "And how much money would be rewarded if you found this plant?"

Himawari rubbed her chin nervously. "Perhaps… 30,000 ryo?"

Yasa whistled and I straightened. _**30,000 ryo? **_

"Is your mission reward coming from that money, or your own?" I butted in.

Himawari glanced at me cautiously. "My own pocket…" she trailed off.

"We'll complete this mission if you give us some of your money," Yasa decided, and Himawari nodded furiously. "Yes, of course! Anything to help my clan!"

She continued onward, talking amiably about her family.

"I'm the only daughter of my family, and I'm a kunoichi! I have three brothers, and my mother. My father died from the plague… but it's alright. I'll save my mother and brothers before they die, too. That's why I need to find this plant! And I'm sure I'll be able to!"

I bit my lip at her resolve. It was nice and cheery, but how would _we _find the plant? Wouldn't a Byakugan user be more adept at this?

We continued onwards for Hanagakure in high hopes.

* * *

Two figures crouched from their hiding place. One of the figures grinded his teeth and smirked.

"Seems like we hit the jackpot," the man growled in pleasure as he peered at the Genin team and ditzy Hanagakure kunoichi. "30,000 ryo for that plant? If we sell it we can negotiate the price to _50,000 _ryo!"

His partner grinned toothily and unsheathed his prize possession - his sword. He let the sun beams gleam off his sword, and he licked his lips hungrily.

"I bet."


	23. 拉致 (ABDUCTED)

**Important note at the end detailing the reason for my absence at the end of the chapter! Please read. **

**苺 ****\- Strawberry**

**(A**_**rc 111: Tertius arc)**_

**Chapter Twenty Three: ****拉致 ****(ABDUCTED)**

* * *

The walk to Hanagakure was very short. I wasn't sure if it was due to our amble talks throughout the walks, or brief history lessons and touring.

When we arrived to Hanagakure's front gates, our (my teammates and I's) jaw dropped. The gates weren't at all like Konoha's; decorated with colorful petals, wooden and broken down, and seemed very… puerile.

"Hanagakure's structure and customs are very different from other ninja villages," Himawari explained in a low voice, tucking a strand of magenta hair behind her ear, "and due to the second coming of the plague, with many of our shinobi sick, it's left with little security."

"Wouldn't that be… dangerous?" Ibo inquiried. "I mean, any enemy can invade your village easily."

Himawari gave Ibo a sad smile. "Hanagakure… is so weakened and insignificant… that no one would bother with us."

"But if there's a valuable flower hidden in here - "

"It's a myth, that may or may not be true, and very few people believe in it." Himawari interjected. She sighed and pushed open the front gates with few difficulties and struggles.

We walked into Hanagakure with wide eyes.

It looked… dead and small.

There were little villagers outside of their homes; wilting, dark flowers bent their head in shame, and the grass was dry and was turning a murky light brown. I widened my eyes. _Did… did a plague cause this much damage to the geography? _The atmosphere of Hanagakure was depressing. The wind blew a harsh breeze and a petal cracked off of a wilting flower, rolling away with the direction of the wind.

"Himawari-san…" Hamu said, looking around, "how would we be able to even _locate _this flower?"

Himawari sighed as she glanced around the quiet area.

"In the legend," she began slowly, "it is said that the woman who saved the village with the original flower cultivated the seed and planted it in secret, so to save it if they plague would ever return and conceal it from thieves. However, it does not specify where."

Himawari sighed again, and put a finger on her chin, thinking, "although, it is said that the flower has a thin layer of chakra."

I gasped at her.

"How? For something to have chakra, it must have chakra coils - "

"Theoretically, that's correct," Yasa interjected, "anything that has chakra must have chakra coils, even if it's faint, and hypothetically, _since everything has chakra_, everything must have chakra coils.

"However, there are exceptions; such as bijuus. They are simply monsters of chakra, and they take solid forms when needed. However, they don't need chakra coils because they are _**chakra themselves.**_"

I blinked, processing what he said slowly. After a few seconds, I widened my eyes.

"Does… does that mean that this _magical plant, _if real, _is chakra _taking a solid form?"

"If we apply the same laws we apply to bijuus, then yes," Yasa said. He turned to Himawari, and frowned. "Where did this 'princess' come from?"

"It's a legend," Himawari said. "I'm not sure. Anyways, that's enough talking. I'm hungry."

"If everyone in this village is infected, where'll we find food?"

"In the south side of town, there's some civilians uninfected from the plague, but the amount is very sparse. However, I'm sure we can find a run-down motel, and I know of a restaurant that sells some delicious fried squid."

* * *

The walk to the south side of the village made us hungry and tired. True to Himawari's words, the fried squid restaurant was absolutely delicious, and they served the **entrée** with rose water and tea.

We walked with full bellies to a run down motel. It looked mundane and dirty, and I swore I saw a few roaches scurry into an open burrow. However, my eyelids were heavy. We shared one room - it was a very small inn, and it was booked - and I slept on the chair. It didn't quite matter where I slept. As soon as I closed my eyes, I drifted off into a void of unconsciousness.

* * *

I woke up quite early. When I opened my eyes, there was a lot of shuffling around.

"Wha-whazzgoinon?" I attempted to mumble out.

"We've got to move out," Himawari whispered. "I knew… I knew… _I knew those bastards were there…_"

"What happened?" I asked as I stretched my limbs. Sleeping on a chair was uncomfortable, and I was quite surprised that I didn't slip off. Still, my back was aching for a massage and my joints felt tight.

"Apparently, some men are following us," Yasa briefed me. I was on full alert. "What? Who? Why?" I inquiried.

Himawari stopped what she was doing - pacing around and biting her nails anxiously - and sniffed. "Three faux samurai. They are _not _from the Land of Iron, and they are in fact greedy ass men. I thought I lost them…"

She ran her fingers through her hair. "Nevertheless, they're strong."

"How strong? And what's their names?" Hamu asked as he tightened his hitai-ate around his forehead.

Himawari bit her lip. "Zōri and Waraji," she said finally.

_Zouri… where have I heard that name before? _I thought, raking through my head; however, I found nothing.

"Then we move out?" I suggested.

"Yes. We've got to find that plant before they do; they'd probably attempt to put it on the black market to gain some money. I can't believe they _followed us_…"

I turned to Yasa.

"Yasa-sensei. What do we _do_?"

"We may have to engage with them; I'm assuming these samurai weren't taught how to mould their chakra, since they're 'faux samurai'. However, they're probably ept in kenjutsu. In that case, if we were to engage with them, I would suggest you lot engage with them.

"Our best strategy would be to use Ibo; he could hopefully switch mindscapes with one of them, and have one attack the other. If that fails, he can at least do _something _about those weapons. Once the weapons are gone, we can engage."

I frowned, but nodded.

"Okay. Sensei, don't you have a large scale jutsu?"

Yasa blushed and rubbed his head.

"I'm not _that _strong. I do have an Earth Style jutsu that I've been teaching Ibo. Hamu's job is to locate the chakra pulsating plant with his mice and sensory abilities; Ibo and I will engage with the samurai."

"And what'll _I _do?" I asked.

Yasa thought about it.

"Hm… you can protect Himawari!"

My jaw dropped, and I stared at him incredulously.

_I've been training… for months and months… enduring all the pain, sweat, blood, tears, AND headaches from constant training… and Yasa-sensei wants me to protect the client? The client isn't even being targeted!_

I curled my fingers, and clenched my jaw.

"_Hai_, sensei," I muttered obediently and whirled around, anger rushing through me.

* * *

We began our journey to the forest. Yasa planned for Hamu to summon and send his rats out to scatter around as soon as they get further into the forest. Ibo was to stay at the rear of our formation and Yasa in the front to prevent any of the faux samurai from attacking Himawari. That leaves Himawari and I in the middle. I was to protect her from any bodily harm. We didn't know the extent of the illegally trained samurai, so we were to be on high alert. However, given a generalization of them, they barely knew how to mould their chakra and were adept in kenjutsu and sometimes buukijutsu.

"Hamu," Yasa said lowly, and Hamu nodded. "_Wakarimashita." _he replied, swiftly unwrapping his bandages.

I caught a quick glimpse of Hamu's thumbs. They looked slightly bruised and blue. Was this the result of constantly biting one's thumb to summon animals?

Hamu sunk his teeth into his thumbs quickly and stopped walking to spread his blood onto the soggy, slightly damp earth.

"_**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"**_ he murmured lowly, and in a puff of smoke that quickly cleared after a few seconds, dozens and dozens of small rats and mice alike emerged from nowhere.

"I want you all to scatter across the forest, and if you sense or see any plants pulsating chakra, _report to me_, got it? Also," he looked around and leaned down, "if you sense and chakra signatures other than ours and Himawari's, also report to me."

The tiny rodents scurried away in different directions.

"Good job," Yasa nodded. "Shall we continue to our journey?"

Himawari nodded. "I'm urgent to find this plant… for my people… so they may live and regain their honor." Himawari reached into her pocket and tightened her grip around something. If the crinkling of paper was anything to go by, it was most likely a letter or photograph.

I smiled admiringly. "It's okay, Himawari-san. We _will _find this plant and help save your family."

Himawari gave me a warm smile, then looked up with a determined look written across her bronze face.

"Let's go," Yasa ordered, and we continued to walk.

It hadn't even been five minutes later when Hamu stopped us once more.

"What is it now?" I sniffed. "Do you have to piss? We're in a forest, you can't go peeing around - "

"_No_," he interrupted, sending me an irritated look, "it's not that… I think…" he scrunched his eyebrows together, putting his bandaged fingers in a _ram _seal, and shut his eyes. A few seconds of silence later, his eyes flittered open in shock. "I sense two chakra signatures!" he gasped.

As if on cue, an army of shuriken rained down on us. Yasa was immediately on alert, and he shoved Hamu out of the way as he blocked the weapons with a kunai of his own.

"Shit!" Ibo cursed, and my eyes widened. _It's happening… again… _

_**Will I have to face another enemy once more? Will this be my death? **_Tears stung my blue eyes.

"Ichigo! You know what to do!" Ibo yelled across as he glanced around to check for any hidden opponent.

"_Hm… you can protect Himawari!" _Yasa's words flashed through my mind, and in under milliseconds, I whipped out a kunai and jumped in front of Himawari.

Suddenly, I heard a pained cry, and I whipped around to the direction of sound of distress. Hamu was clutching his shoulder as he stared at his hand in horror. Blood pooled from a open gash due to a shuriken.

"How did that get past Yasa-sensei?" I gasped. "Wasn't he on the defensive?"

Yasa looked surprised too as he glanced back at Hamu. That was enough for the opponents to leapt down from their hiding spot and reveal themselves.

Two men, with a sword clutched in their hand, appeared. One had strange markings under their eyes and the other had brown hair, and eyepatch, and a scar in his right temple.

They looked slightly familiar, and I raked my brain to find the familiarities.

I gasped externally. "They worked for Gatou, sensei!" I yelled out, "they're samurai who worked as their bodyguards…" _But why weren't they put in a prison by the citizens in Land of the Waves? Then again, they never did show what they did with Gatou's army… _

One of the men looked at me curiously, but ignored it. He - the one with the strange markings and pale hair - crouched down and began to sprint towards my direction. I gasped again and clutched my kunai tighter as I pressed my back against Himawari's stomach, prepared to defend. However, he past me swiftly, and instead, went for Hamu, who was still attempting to stop the bleeding from his sudden wound.

"Fuck off, weirdo!" Hamu yelled when he saw the man coming for him and he began to adjust himself into a defensive stance. Yasa's back was towards us, focusing on the marked man's partner. Ibo's eyes widened and began to make the seal to perform the Mind Transfer technique, the marked man snaked his arm around Hamu's waist, catching him off guard, and scooped him up.

"Let go of me, fucker!" Hamu screeched as he reached his hand into his weapons pouch, but abruptly, the man tightened his hand onto Hamu's wrist, and I heard a yell filled with pain.

My eyes widened and my knees felt wobbly as I saw Hamu clutch his wrist in horror and pain. The samurai then leapt off swiftly and the partner followed in pursuit, leaving us alone as Hamu's screams echoed throughout the forest.

* * *

_**Important Note: **_I apologize I didn't update. I have a good excuse, really. One morning, I woke up and could not open my eyes due to a burning sensation. I have had eye problems for a while due to contacts, but this was extreme. I went to the opthamologist, and turns out I had many scars in my cornea (in fact, I had two white dots 'scars' in my eye, and if it had been in the center of my eye, I would've been blind! I'm lucky!). It had felt as if there was a piece of contact stuck in my eye and I couldn't open. It was due to me sleeping with my contacts frequently. So, I was not able to wear contacts anymore, and I was forced to purchase glasses. :( I missed school more than three times during that time, and I couldn't write at all since I have TERRIBLE vision!

I hope you all understand. All is well; my eyes are better (I had to apply antibiotics eye drops every 2 hours for 2-3 weeks :/) and I have glasses, so I can write! :))


	24. IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S ME

A Note to My Followers

Um... so, yeah. This is awkward.

Face it, we all hate these notes. After your favorite story hasn't been updated in months, or even years, the writer'll publish a chapter. Excited, you think it's finally the chapter you've been anticipating... until you see it's a note that states the story will be going on hiatus.

Yeah. I'm a douche. I can explain, though.

Strawberry is my baby. It's the LONGEST fanfic I wrote. It's my most successful fanfiction I've published, ever. I'm kinda sad I'm abandoning it, too. I feel ashamed, sad, nostalgic, and embarrassed, but it had to be done.

I had a few eye issues when I was writing this fic. I had corneal scars, eyes were hurting, etc. etc. After I had to take a break from writing and I came back, things... got wonky. First, the Naruto manga ended and I was unsatisfied, downright disgusted with the series. It was so horrible, in my opinion, and all my characters became shitty. I really dislike what's going on with Boruto and stuff. I fell out of love with the series. I couldn't write anymore.

Cue 1-2 years later. I'm rewatching Naruto and I realize how good the first show was. I go on and saw how successful Strawberry was. I reread it, read the reviews, and realized how shitty it became. First off, Ichigo was an anti-sue. She wasn't a Mary sue, sure; she wasn't extremely hot and super strong and she didn't make Sakura uber jealous, but she was incredibly weak and boring. In my efforts to make an OC that wasn't a Mary sue, I made the radical opposite - an Anti sue. I realized that I didn't even know how to end the story. Was she going to die? Was she going to help with the Fourth Shinobi War? I had no clue! She was poorly developed.

Second, my plots. Some arcs were extremely weak like when Ichigo had that seduction mission (really? What Genin would be entrusted to that, nevertheless a novice one?), the most recent arc (which I literally wrote as a filler arc. It legit had no purpose to the plot. It was just... there, a filler before the Chunin exams.), etc. My writing wasn't bad in my opinion, but it wasn't strong. I'm not satisfied.

Finally, I was in seventh grade. My writing has improved, at least in my opinion, drastically. It's too late to pick up the pieces and try to glue it together. It'd be awkward to pick up where I left off. The damage was already done. Ichigo was set up to be a fodder ninja, I had no plans for her, and the differences in writing would be too drastic. My best bet was to create a new fanfiction.

Now, I know what you're thinking: I have trust issues, you're not going to finish this new story, I refuse to check it out! I've matured! Not finishing fanfictions was the old me - er, at least I think so. Anyways, I've written a new fanfiction that I think is pretty good. My protagonist is well-developed and balanced. I've written her to be strong, but not overbearing or OP. I think I've written her new ability to be practical. I've already written my ending for her and I actually know what's in store instead of blindly plunging ahead. My writing has improved and I'm more cautious when editing.

It's a Naruto OC!Reincarnation fanfic, very similar to this one. OC dies, gets reborn into the Naruto world, shit happens. Yada yada yada. Anyways, here's the link: s/12299428/1/%E9%A3%9B%E3%81%B6-Jump

If you want to check it out and give me another chance, it's up there. I'm really, really, reaaallyyy sorry. I feel really ashamed and very bad for doing this. :( Thanks for following me, reviewing, and giving my story love for all these years. You guys are the best followers anyone could ever ask for! 3

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The (Indefinite? Undecided? Temporary?) End


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